The Magic Transcends
by PizzaNSunshine
Summary: Months after the defeat of the Malvaran sorcerers, talk turns to the royal wedding. Mateo wonders if he is worthy of Elena and finds a clue revealing that countless prisoners from Shuriki's reign may yet live on an island in the North. Mateo and Elena set off on a voyage to solve the mystery and bring their people home. A journey promising adventure, romance, and self-discovery!
1. Chapter 1

Mateo couldn't remember the last time he'd ever felt so nervous. Running a hand through his untidy curls as he paced the ballroom antechamber, he noticed every little detail around him. Fabric swished–– silk brushing together as he moved. The windowless walls of the tiny antechamber were draped with rich, jewel toned fabrics and his booted feet sank a little into the plush rug that spanned the width and length of the room. Everything around him–– from his own attire to the decor to the beautiful, highly amused princess standing just out of the path of his pacing–– shouted royalty, while he felt out of place in his own skin.

He could scarcely believe that he was about to do what he was about to do–– in a matter of minutes Mateo would be officially announced to the court as Elena's betrothed. He and Elena were waiting for Armando to make the royal proclamation before they made their grand entrance and were presented for the first time as a betrothed couple for the approval of the court.

Elena stood to the side, arms crossed as she quirked an amused eyebrow, watching her beloved's frenzied pacing. It took all of her self control to not laugh aloud at the sight. Deciding the frenzy had gone on long enough, she stepped forward and laid a hand on his shoulder, her fingers brushing the deep green satin of the formal jacket he had donned for the occasion.

"Mateo, please. Stop…" she murmured soothingly.

At her touch, Mateo halted and took a deep, shuddering breath. Turning, he faced Elena and she could see the fear burning in his eyes. Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, she said, "What's going on, Mateo? You've attended court functions as a member of my inner circle before, this isn't anything new to you."

Blushing, his eyes darted to the floor, as he stammered, "I– it's nothing. I'm fine."

Shooting him a disbelieving look, Elena pursed her lips. "Somehow, I find that hard to believe, what with the obvious panic in your eye and the fact that you've nearly worn a path in the carpet with the relentless pacing. Come on Mateo, we're going to be married. We shouldn't lie to each other–– no matter how silly or insignificant the detail seems."

His posture deflated as he sighed, "I know. You're right, Elena. It's just–– that–– well, I've been the royal wizard for years now and have attended a bunch of these things at your side, but it's always been as a _part_ of your inner circle–– it's never been me. Alone. At the center of everything."

Smirking, Elena said, "Aside from the night you were appointed royal wizard, of course."

Mateo covered his face with his hands and closed his eyes as if trying to erase the memory, shuddering as he said, "Don't remind me!"

"But that night turned out well, in spite of your worries. You single handedly defeated an evil wizard and saved us all." She stepped closer and slid her arms around his waist, brushing a soft kiss against his lips. Pulling back, she frowned slightly as she noticed that the kiss hadn't distracted him at all–– he was still looking around anxiously–– though he did manage to return her embrace.

"There's more to this than stage fright, isn't there?" she asked shrewdly.

Mateo swallowed hard and nodded.

"What is it, _mi querido_? Tell me so I can help. We're a team, remember?"

"Ok–– it's–– I guess– what I'm really worried about is that the court won't approve of me. I'm afraid that we're going to walk out there and they are going to reject our betrothal––"

Elena snorted. "There is no way that is going to happen. The call for the court's approval is just a tradition. It's a technicality, for show. You know, like that part in the wedding ceremony when the officiant asks for objections? No one ever objects except in those ridiculous dramatic romance novels. My court would never go against my wishes and they have absolutely no reason to. _You_ are who I want. Who I've decided is the best person in the entire world to help me defend and protect our kingdom. The grand council has approved of you and even Esteban has come around and approves of you–– he agrees with me that you are a hero to us all and that you are my perfect match. I think he also hopes that your calm personality will cool my hot head," Elena laughed merrily at the memory of her cousin's words before continuing, "Truly, there's nothing to worry about. The rest of the kingdom will follow suit."

"But– they're probably expecting you to marry another royal. Or at least a noble! I'm a nobody. I–"

Eyes flashing, Elena stopped him with a finger pressed to his lips. "Stop, right there. We have been over this. You, _mi querido_ , are–"

Her words were cut off as the door opened and Luisa poked her head in, grinning at the couple as she hissed, "It's time! Get ready, you two!"

Elena nodded to her grandmother and turned back to Mateo, smiling softly as she reached up to straighten his tie. "We'll talk about this later, everything will be fine. Trust me!"

Mateo searched her face intently for any hint of doubt or regret and said quietly, "Are you sure about this?"

Cupping his face in her hands, Elena smirked, raising a confident eyebrow as she leaned towards him and said, "Trust me, I know exactly what I am doing." She kissed him full on the mouth before pulling back with a grin and taking his elbow.

"Come on, my future prince. Let's go and meet _our_ court."

–––––

" ––hereby making the official declaration of the betrothal of our beloved Crown Princess Elena Castillo Flores to her intended, Mateo de Alva, Royal Wizard of Avalor!"

As they stood in the doorway of the antechamber listening to the murmurs and the polite applause sounding throughout the ballroom, Mateo glanced sidelong at Elena, grinning crookedly.

 _Are you ready?_

She responded by flashing his favorite dazzling smile.

 _Let's do this!_

She stepped out into the light of the ballroom, and Mateo–– taking his lead from her–– took a calming breath as he followed at her side.

As the couple passed through the crowd, Mateo felt his confidence growing. In spite of his previous fears, this felt right. He felt as if he was exactly where he was supposed to be. Nothing had changed aside from the fact that he had the love of his life on his arm–– who just happened to be the crown princess of Avalor. Having her at his side made the young wizard feel taller–– stronger and more capable somehow. It was just the effect she had on him–– she was his perfect match in every way.

Elena was glowing with pride–– literally. Warmth flooded Mateo's heart as he noticed the subtle luminescence radiating from her skin–– understanding that she was so entirely happy and that _he_ was the source of that happiness. He knew in that moment how completely committed she was to her choice to marry him. Not only that, but she was not even remotely ashamed to be announcing her engagement to her royal wizard to every noble and royal ally in and around Avalor. The glow was her magic's physical response to strong positive emotions. He smiled as he remembered another time she'd glowed like that–– at the royal ball where she'd decided to toss aside tradition and dance with Mateo all night–– the night that they–– together–– had made the choice that changed everything.

The grand council, Isabel, Gabe and Rafa waited upon the raised dais at the front of the room watching the approaching couple. Luisa and Rafa clung to each other, both crying happy tears at their children's joy. Francisco, as always, looked dignified though his eyes betrayed the pride and happiness he felt at seeing his granddaughter taking this next step in her life. Esteban watched with his typical superiority mixed with approval and satisfaction. Isabel and Naomi sported matching tear tracks–– the tears flowed freely down their cheeks as they beamed at the approaching couple. Gabe stood tall, like the royal guard that he was, but winked as he flashed a cocky grin.

Mateo and Elena climbed the steps of the dais and paused, facing their family and friends. Luisa stepped forward to wrap Mateo in a warm embrace and said. "Welcome to the family, _mijo_!"

Smiling, Mateo returned the hug, and replied, "Thanks, Luisa, but I'm not technically part of the family just yet."

She pulled back and eyed him with mock sternness. "Nonsense! Elena has chosen you–– you are her heart, and I know her well enough to know that isn't going to change. As far as I'm concerned, you've been part of the family for years." She smiled and patted his cheek affectionately, and added, "And I insist that you call me _abuela_ from now on, do you understand me?"

Mateo felt his throat tighten as emotion welled up within him at her gesture of complete acceptance, but he managed to laugh as he straightened, saying, "Yes ma'am–– er–– I mean–– yes _abuela_."

Luisa looked over at Elena and winked. "You've chosen well, _mijita._ "

Grinning, Elena took Mateo's hand, and, squeezing it, said lightly, "Oh, I know, but thanks _abuela_!" She then pulled Mateo around so that they were facing the watching crowd of nobles and royals.

Mateo had almost forgotten the crowd in his distraction while greeting their family. He swallowed hard, trying to stand tall and look confident next to Elena.

She took his arm and addressed the crowd, "Members of the court–– guests and allies–– thank you for joining me tonight in celebrating my betrothal. I now stand before you to present the one that I have chosen to share my life with–– to partner with in protecting and defending Avalor until death do us part." Elena looked over the crowd of nobles and flashed her most winning smile as she slid an arm around Mateo's shoulders and said brightly, "My betrothed everyone! Mateo de Alva, Royal Wizard of Avalor!"

The nobles and royal guests applauded–– some offered polite applause while others were more enthusiastic. As the applause quieted, Elena spoke again, "As per tradition, I submit my choice before you–– my court–– does anyone have any objections?"

Mateo held his breath, nervously awaiting the riot of protest he'd been half expecting, when his heart sank as a voice rang out from the crowd, "I have a concern, your highness, if I may."

Gasps and murmurs sounded through the room as a tall, elegant woman stepped from the crowd. Doña Paloma gazed up at the crown princess with an imperious smile and an elegantly arched eyebrow raised in question.

Mateo's heart sank, he'd known someone would object. Behind him, he could hear Esteban grit his teeth in irritation while beside him, Elena's eyes narrowed as her arm tightened protectively around his shoulders.

Taking a calming breath to mask her irritation before she spoke, Elena said, "Yes, Doña Paloma? What is your concern about the remarkable young man standing beside me that _I_ have chosen to share _my_ life with?"

"Well, your highness, please forgive me," Doña Paloma began smoothly, "I only have yours and the kingdom's best interest at heart, of course."

"I bet you do," Esteban grumbled under his breath.

Sighing dramatically, she continued, "But while I'm sure that you two are very much 'in love', and that he's a very talented boy when it comes to magic, he has no noble blood. He's not a royal and offers the kingdom no political advantage for trade or, well, anything. I believe his talents would be better suited to tinkering with magic in a workshop than to politics."

It took every ounce of control that Elena possessed to refrain from rolling her eyes at the haughty woman before her. Elena and Doña Paloma had a combative friendship, that is to say, they were friends and rivals and generally had very different perspectives on how to get things done. Elena respected the woman when it came to many things from money to politics, but was not going to allow her to interfere in this most personal choice that was Elena's to make.

Instead, she set her jaw and drew herself up to her full height as she stepped forward, gazing unflinchingly over her gathered court.

"Before I ask for a second, I'd like to say something about this 'talented boy'. Without this _boy_ none of us would be standing here today. He risked everything to help rescue me from that amulet and again to rescue my family. He bravely stood at my side in the final confrontation against Shuriki. Since then, he's saved almost every one of your lives when he defeated the malvago and made the potion that broke the stone statue spell, and let's not forget how he selflessly pursued Orizaba–– alone–– to try and take her down with nothing in it for him except the hope of saving Avalor–– again. And then in the battle for Malvara, he saved ALL of our lives when he boldly destroyed the dark source of their power.

"I submit to you, that it's true, Mateo does not possess an ounce of 'noble blood'," Elena sketched quotation marks in the air, "however, he possesses courage of heart and a noble spirit. More so than anyone in this room, myself included."

Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled softly at Mateo and reached back for his hand.

Mateo took her hand and smiled in return. Listening to her speak about him like that made him feel taller, stronger, and more confident. She truly believed in him and was willing to face down even Doña Paloma to defend her unorthodox decision to take him as her prince consort and partner in life.

He stepped forward to stand at her side as she turned back to the watching court. "He may not be 'nobility', but Mateo de Alva is a hero to us all. He may not offer a 'political alliance', but he is wise beyond his years, loyal, faithful, and completely devoted to defending and protecting Avalor. Those are the qualities that I need from my life partner–– a person who I can trust as an advisor and who is just as devoted to protecting our beautiful kingdom as I am."

Doña Paloma listened to Elena's speech, a little smirk playing about her lips. Fluttering her fan haughtily, Doña Paloma sighed again and said, "But your highness, surely––"

"Doña Paloma!" Both Elena and Mateo jumped and whirled around to see Esteban striding towards the edge of the dais where they were standing. "Need I remind you–– yet again–– that while a highly respected leader in our city, you, yourself, possess not an ounce of noble blood, nor are you a court official? You are an honored guest of the court at this celebration and are hardly qualified to put forth such objections."

Elena had to press her lips together to keep from giggling out loud as she watched Doña Paloma's face change from its typical tan to red to a pale puce color as she opened and closed her mouth wordlessly–– trying to form the words to express her outrage but finding none. Fluttering her fan in agitation, she let out a huffed, "Forgive me, your majesty. I was merely expressing concerns as a _citizen_ of this kingdom. Now, if you'll excuse me." She shot Esteban a particularly nasty look as she turned on her heel and swept back into the crowd.

Esteban met Elena's eye and nodded for her to continue before stepping back into his position next to Francisco.

Turning back to the crowd, Elena cleared her throat and said, "Are there any further objections?"

Silence.

Elena could see that most appeared to be either supportive or indifferent, with just a few haughty exceptions who remained silent.

Elena was about to continue, when another voice spoke up, "I have something to add, your highness, if I may?"

Elena smiled down at Lord Tomás de casa Avila, the new ambassador from Malvara. She had been thrilled when she heard who King Alejandro had appointed as their new ambassador, the very same brave young man who had rescued Mateo from captivity and had "captured" Gabe and Naomi–– thinking Naomi was Elena–– in hopes of rescuing her from the dark ritual.

One of the first things Alejandro did as king was award titles of nobility to many of the non magic wielders in his inner circle within the resistance–– Tomás being one of them. Elena didn't know the young man personally, but she'd heard enough from Mateo, Gabe and Naomi that she already knew she'd like him even without meeting him. When she'd heard that he was the one appointed to serve as ambassador to her court, she welcomed him to her court with open arms.

Elena nodded to the young ambassador and said, "Of course, Lord Ambassador. We are honored to hear from our friends in Malvara."

Nodding, Tomás stepped forward and addressed the crown princess, "Your highness, on behalf of Malvara, I would like to extend our congratulations on your betrothal. I can say with full confidence that King Alejandro is especially pleased with this arrangement and would have liked to have been here to personally offer his congratulations had that been possible. However, as the appointed representative of Malvara and as one who personally owes this remarkable young man a debt I will never be able to repay for the part he played in liberating my homeland from the dark forces that held it for millennia, I can say that he may not be a perfect political match by blood, but he is a perfect match by his deeds–– which, in the eyes of Malvara, is infinitely more valuable. As your political and trade ally, Malvara fully supports this union!"

"As does the Kingdom of Cariza!" King Joaquin called out from the crowd.

"And the Kingdom of Satu!" Ambassador Shoji called out enthusiastically.

"And the Kingdom of Córdoba!" echoed King Juan Ramón while his son, Prince Alonso stood with his arms crossed–– looking rather bored with the proceedings.

Tomás offered Elena and Mateo a wink and a grin along with a little bow and stepped back into the crowd.

Elena glanced sidelong at Mateo, shooting him a saucy grin with a look that plainly said, _See? I told you so!_

Swallowing hard, Mateo's throat tightened with emotion at the enthusiastic display of support from Avalor's closest political allies–– the kingdoms that stood to lose out on the political marriage contract with the future queen of Avalor. Meeting Elena's eye, he gave her a wry smile and raised an eyebrow in return.

 _Maybe, but they're not your court. Their approval doesn't count._

 _We'll see._

Elena smiled coyly and returned her attention to her court. "If there are no further objections, let us move on with the evening, shall we?" Elena took Mateo's arm and nodded to Armando.

Stepping forward, the chief of the palace gestured grandly towards the couple and announced in his best royal proclamation voice, "The crown princess and her betrothed would like to invite you to join them in celebrating their future union with music, dancing and refreshments! Please enjoy the party!"

–––––

The party was in full swing and countless guests had already congratulated the happy couple. Mateo was still a little uncomfortable with all of the attention, but happy to be by Elena's side. He had been hoping to get a few dances in with his beautiful fiancée, but looking around, he could see that the crowd of well wishers would not be thinning out anytime soon.

Leaning in to whisper in Elena's ear, Mateo said, "I'm going to get a drink, may I bring you one, _mi amor_?"

Smiling softly, Elena gently laid a hand in his arm and said, "I'd love a horchata please and thank you." She kissed him gently on the cheek. "Hurry back," she whispered, her lips softly brushing against his ear, setting his heart racing again, but for a completely different reason this time. "I miss you when you're gone."

Nodding, he flashed her favorite crooked grin before turning and making his way across the ballroom to the banquet table laden with ice cold beverages and culinary delights prepared especially for the crown princess's betrothal celebration.

Mateo's lips twitched in amusement as he surveyed the array of extravagant sweets before him–– he knew just by looking at the selection of hors d'oeuvres that Elena had personally planned this menu down to the last crumb. Platters were piled high with finger sized pan dulce, bunuelos, bowls of fresh juicy strawberries, a decadent three layer tres leches cake, and countless other sweets, but–– at the center of it all–– was a magnificent chocolate fountain. He laughed quietly to himself as he remembered Elena once saying that it's not a party without a chocolate fountain.

He spotted the adjoining table with all of the beverage options–– sherbet punch, lemonade, horchata, and a variety of iced teas, each in its own crystal punch bowl. Mateo reflected that the palace staff had really outdone themselves in setting up for the party as each of the punch bowls sparkled in the lamplight–– artfully arranged around the table.

Taking a pair of crystal punch glasses, he filled them with horchata and, glancing back at the dessert table, decided to fill a plate for Elena. He had a feeling that she'd be busy with the nobles and foreign dignitaries vying for her attention for quite some time–– he knew her well enough to know that a small part in the back of her mind would be worried that she wouldn't get a chance to sample the sweets before the night was over.

Once he'd carefully selected a variety of treats he was sure would satisfy his princess's hopeless sweet tooth, he realized that he didn't have enough hands to carry the plate and the two crystal glasses across the ballroom and through the crowd surrounding Elena. Pursing his lips thoughtfully, Mateo looked around for someone he could ask for help when he was struck with an idea.

He had been practicing casting nonverbal, wandless spells, thinking that skill may come in handy. Setting the plate of sweets and the horchata down on the table, Mateo slowly waved a hand above them, and thought the incantation, " _Levaluq!_ " The plate and cup glowed with magic and gently rose into the air. Pointing from the dishes to Elena, he set the course. The little cup and plate glided gently above the heads of the party guests–– approaching the crown princess who was still at the center of the crowd of nobles, chatting animatedly. She did a little double take as she noticed the little plate and cup approaching. Her eyes lit up and her lips split into a wide grin as she caught the plate of sweets and the cup in her hands and looked over the heads of her guest to meet Mateo's eye.

 _Thank you, mi querido._

 _Anything for you, mi amor._

Mateo flashed her favorite crooked smile before turning to take up his own cup and return to her side. He had just lifted the cup when a slow clap sounded from behind him.

"Bravo, Mario. Most impressive."

Mateo turned to find the Prince Alonso standing behind him, clapping slowly–– his lips arranged in a perfectly patronizing smile.

Mateo looked at him for a moment and looked around–– confused––unsure if the Córdoban prince had actually been talking to him. "Pardon? Were you speaking to me?"

Shrugging with the air of the gloriously bored. Prince Alonso picked idly at a spot in his sleeve as he drawled, "I suppose I was. I couldn't help but notice that _most_ impressive parlor trick you just performed. I found myself curious if you were the hired entertainment for tonight's party? I'm planning to host a little get together myself soon and wished to inquire of your services."

Mateo just stared at the prince a moment, confusion furrowing his eyebrows–– surely the prince must be joking. Cocking his head to one side, Mateo said, "I–sorry, what?"

Sighing dramatically, Alonso–– too busy preening at his reflection in the punch bowl to actually look at Mateo–– said, "Look, Mario––"

"Mateo."

"Whatever, I can see that you're a little slow, but I'm feeling generous this evening so I'll ask one more time, do you want the job or not?"

"I'm sorry, but you must be confusing me for someone else. I'm not the hired entertainment."

"Oh? Really? Why else would anyone be performing magic tricks at a royal function? A royal certainly would not behave in such a way, and you––" he crossed his arms and eyed Mateo speculatively, "––are no royal."

Of course, Mateo knew this–– he knew all too well how "not royal" he was, but having someone confuse him for the hired help when he had just been presented as betrothed to the crown princess–– well, it hurt. Rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at the floor, Mateo tried to clarify, "I– I am Elena's––"

Alonso's eyes widened and he took a falsely dramatic step back, and he interrupted, his voice dripping with mock apology, "Oh! I'm so sorry! You're Princess Elena's betrothed! Silly me, how could I forget?"

Mateo was starting to suspect that Prince Alonso had been mocking him all this time. Crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow, Mateo said, "Apology accepted, now if you'll excuse––"

"But where are my manners? Of course I must offer my congratulations on your engagement to the beautiful crown princess of Avalor. She really is quite the catch–– rich, powerful, stunningly gorgeous. And that fiery temper of hers––"

As the Córdoban prince spoke–– Mateo was perplexed trying to figure out what he was getting at or why Alonso was making such an effort to mock him.

Alonso continued, "I can see why you were attracted to her. Who wouldn't want in on that kind of wealth and power?"

This caught Mateo off guard. The prince thought he was after Elena because of her wealth? Incensed at the thinly veiled accusation, Mateo clenched his fists at his side and said, "Now wait, just one second. I would never––"

Yawning, Alonso reached out to brush an invisible speck of dust from Mateo's shoulder, "I'm sorry, Mario? What did you say?"

"It's Mateo!"

"Hmmm? What was that? I'm having a hard time understanding you. I always find the dialect of the––" he looked Mateo up and down, "––common to be so–– so hard to understand. You know, you're going to have to speak more clearly if you ever hope to pass as royal."

Mateo just stared at the prince.

"You know, Mario, I don't blame you for wanting the princess and I fully applaud you for winning her over. I actually had my eye on her at one time–– but that's ancient history. Truthfully, all these years I was certain she was going to marry that royal guard of hers."

Raising a confused eyebrow, Mateo cocked his head to the side and said, "Royal guard? You mean Gabe?"

Alonso gestured past Mateo towards where Gabe was standing with an arm casually slung around Naomi's shoulders as they chatted with Ambassador Avila. "I mean, look at him. He has the bearing of a king–– there's just something about the way he presents himself–– he has the look. His hair, his posture, his mannerisms–– he would have no problem passing for royalty despite his humble beginning. But what am I saying?" Alonso let out a false little laugh, "What _princess_ would choose to marry _her guard_?"

It was as if he'd punched Mateo in the stomach. Mateo felt a sinking sensation as he listened to Prince Alonso–– arrogant though he was–– voicing each of Mateo's doubts and fears. Mateo knew all too well how very "common" he was; he knew he'd never be able pass for royalty; and he knew full well that there were others out there who were better suited for the role and duties of a prince. Mateo loved Elena with his entire being, but he couldn't help but think that he simply wasn't enough–– he wasn't worthy of the honor.

Alonso eyed the young wizard with mock sympathy before sighing dramatically and saying, "Of course I've always known that princess of yours was a little odd–– the way she consorts with servants and is so keen to dig in the dirt. Then she completely rebuffed my own attempts at courting her in favor of that _guard_ ," he said the word "guard" with a curl in his lip as if he'd smelled something unpleasant, "but who would have thought that, in reality, she had a taste for the common–– er–– bookish type."

"Who, indeed," Mateo said dully. He looked at the prince and said, "Well, as enjoyable as this has been, if you'll excuse me, I really must go and–– er–– check on something." He reached out to shake the prince's hand, but Alonso kept his hands in his pockets, looked around the room as if looking for someone and said idly, "Of course, Mario. I'm sure I'll be seeing you again."

Mateo needed some fresh air and a moment to think, so he made a beeline for the door to the balcony on the other side of the ballroom. He hadn't gone more than a few steps, however, before Naomi intercepted him.

"Congratulations, Mateo! I'm so happy for my two best friends!" she beamed at him as she threw her arms around him in a bone crushing hug.

"Er–– thanks Naomi," Mateo gasped.

"You may want to lighten up on the hugging, Nomes, before you crush him to death," Gabe quipped as he stepped forward to clap Mateo in the shoulder. "Congratulations bro!"

"Yes! Congratulations, Mateo," Tomás said, "I meant what I said about Alejandro and Malvara being pleased with the arrangement. You are truly a hero among my people. If there's anything I can do to help with the wedding arrangements, just say the word!"

Naomi released Mateo, who stumbled and rubbed the back of his neck–– looking at the floor–– before saying, "Thanks guys," in a less than enthusiastic tone.

Naomi peered at her friend and said, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong!" Mateo said quickly, "I just need a bit of fresh air. I'll be back in a moment."

Gabe glared past Mateo to where Prince Alonso had started talking to Doña Paloma. "I saw Prince Alonso talking to you. What did he say?"

"Nothing! He just wanted to congratulate me, that's all."

Raising a sardonic eyebrow, Gabe crossed his arms and said, "Right. I've met him before. He'd never sincerely congratulate anyone below him."

Tomás's eyes narrowed as–– at that moment–– Alonso said loudly, "I applaud you Doña Paloma, for speaking up when you did. Someone needs to be looking out for our dear Avaloran princess. Heaven knows that had _I_ announced my betrothal to someone who offered zero political advantage to the throne, my court would be outraged! It would be a scandal!"

"I see how it is. Let me handle this," Tomás muttered, a mischievous gleam in his eye as he straightened and strode over to the Córdoban prince.

"In fact, I assure you that they would be demanding that I abdicate my right to the throne."

The prince and Doña Paloma startled as Ambassador Avila–– Tomás–– said smoothly, "From the rumors I've heard in my time on your continent, your highness, your court would only demand that you abdicate because they are desperately looking for any excuse to avoid having you on the throne in the first place."

Gabe and Naomi laughed as Alonso's face reddened and he began to splutter incoherently, trying to figure out what exactly this new ambassador really knew about the inner workings of his own court. Mateo's lips twitched in a ghost of a smile, but his eyes and the slump of his shoulders betrayed the turmoil he felt on the inside.

"I–– need some air. I'll be back in a moment." Mateo continued out the door to the balcony, leaving a worried Gabe and Naomi behind.

Naomi looked at Gabe, her lips pursed thoughtfully. "I don't know what that prince said to him, but––"

"It wasn't anything good, that's for sure," Gabe cut in, "I've accompanied Elena to Córdoba a few times and the prince is a real piece of work."

"I've heard Elena ranting about him, but what makes you say that?"

"Well, I'll admit that he's improved a bit when it comes to taking on responsibility, but he has a lot to learn about how to treat his people–– all of his people, not just the nobility. He treats me like dirt every time we meet. And don't get me started on the over-the-top flirting! Thankfully Elena could see right through it after the first visit, but he tried his hardest to keep the two of us apart each time we were there. You'd think he was jealous or something. I never understood why!'"

Naomi crossed her arms and raised an incredulous eyebrow, saying, "That couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that you were following after her looking like a lovesick puppy, could it?"

Taken aback, Gabe said, "Oh! You know, I never thought of that."

"So he treated you like dirt? How?"

"Oh, you know, talking down to me. Acting like I was invisible. Ignoring anything I said. Speaking slowly like I was an idiot. Making jabs about how common I was and demanding I did anything he considered 'servant's' work. Stuff like that. It was annoying, but I knew better than to let it get to me."

"But Mateo doesn't. You know how worried he's been about not fitting in with the nobles after he and Elena are married." Naomi's expression darkened and she clenched her fists to her side. "I swear, if he said anything like that to Mateo, I'll–– I'm going to––"

Gabe laughed, "Do what, feisty pants? Give him a stern talking to? Write him a strongly worded letter?"

"I don't know! But Elena needs to know. I don't think Mateo will listen to anyone else right now if he's upset about something that prince said." Naomi stood on tiptoe and craned her neck in an attempt to spot the crown princess in the crowd. "There she is! Let's go!"

Grabbing Gabe's hand, Naomi hurried them through the crowd, squeezing by the many brightly colored, voluminous ball gowns and elbowing disgruntled nobles out of her way when necessary.

"Excuse me–– grand councilwoman coming through–– urgent message for the princess–– excuse me–– grand council business–– please–– let me through!"

When, at last, Naomi and Gabe made it to the front of the crowd, Naomi saw that Elena was talking with Esteban and Ambassador Shoji of Satu. Elena looked over in surprise as Naomi took her elbow and murmured with a half curtsey to the ambassador of Satu, "Excuse me, your highness, but there is an important matter that requires your immediate attention."

Elena raised a questioning eyebrow as Esteban, eyebrows raised in irritation, interjected, "What could be so important as to interrupt the crown princess from her discussions with our foreign guests?"

Naomi leaned in to whisper in Elena's ear, "Its Mateo. Prince Alonso cornered him by the dessert table. I don't know what was said but Mateo seemed upset and went outside. I just thought you'd want to know."

Eyes flashing, Elena turned to the ambassador and said in a forced calm voice, "I'm so sorry to cut this short, Ambassador Shoji, but I must go and attend to a family matter. Perhaps we can chat a little more later this evening?"

"Elena! What are you doing? You can't just––"

"It's quite alright, chancellor," Shoji interrupted, "I simply wanted to wish her well in her future marriage and I have. I know that the princess values her family above all else and we respect that. Besides, I think I am ready to sample that marvelous flan I saw on the dessert table earlier."

Smiling graciously, Elena offered the king a polite curtsey. "Thank you for understanding, ambassador. I'm sure I will only be a few minutes."

As she hurried off, the crowd parted easily for the crown princess.

"Of course they moved for you," Gabe muttered and Naomi smirked.

"Where is he?" Elena asked.

"He was headed towards the balcony."

"Ok, thanks. I'll go take a look," Elena turned to hurry off, but paused, looking back at her friends, she said, "Thank you for coming to tell me. Prince Alonso can be a real–– well, you know. And, anyways, thanks."

"Anytime."

Elena stepped through the door and out into the cool darkness of evening, instantly noting how calm and peaceful it was just steps away from the social pressures of the celebration inside. Just ahead, Elena spotted Mateo standing, his hands placed on the rail, shoulders slumped as he stared out at the vast expanse of the night sky.

Stepping quietly across the balcony, Elena approached the young wizard, who–– not having heard her approach–– stiffened in surprise as she slid her arms around his waist, but instantly melted into her touch once he realized who it was.

"Hey," she whispered, leaning in to press a soft kiss to the back of his neck, "I told you I would miss you if you were gone too long, _mi querido_."

"Sorry, I just needed some air. I was about to come and find you."

Elena thought her heart would break at the sadness and defeat in his voice. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I–– I'm fine."

Elena stepped back to look at him and crossed her arms. Raising an eyebrow in disbelief, she said, "Mateo, I know that's not true. We've been over this, please tell me the truth. I know Prince Alonso spoke to you–– please––" her voice softened to almost a whisper as she reached out for his hand, "Please, give me a chance to prove whatever he said wrong."

Mateo allowed her to take his hand, reveling in the softness of her skin and how delicate her tiny hand felt in his own grasp. He turned to face her, looking into her lovely face. She was so perfect–– his heart swelled with the love he felt for this kind, beautiful young woman who loved him so deeply in return. He knew he would do anything for her, go to any lengths for her.

Clearing his throat and looking uncomfortable, Mateo looked to the floor as he said, "It's–– oh you know, he just complimented my 'parlor tricks', acted like he thought I was the hired help and basically told me I'd never pass for a royal."

"He–– what!? He actually said those things to you?"

Mateo, still looking at the ground, simply nodded his head.

Sighing sadly, Elena moved closer and reached out, cupping his face in her hands, guiding his eyes to her own. "Please look at me Mateo." He met her gaze and blinked. She could see the conflicting emotions deep within his warm hazel eyes.

"What else did he say?"

Mateo hesitated, not wanting to bring up the bit about Gabe being better suited for the role of prince. He knew exactly how she would respond to _that._

"Well, aside from accusing me of being after your wealth and power––"

"WHAT?!" Elena's eyes flashed angrily, "He actually said that?! He said–– I'm going to go talk to him right now!"

Clenching her fists at her side, she whirled back towards the ballroom and made to storm off to find the Córdoban prince when Mateo caught her around the waist and pulled her close.

"That won't be necessary!"

"Not necessary!? He had no right! Completely unfounded–– rude–– stuck up––" Elena was spitting mad and ready to do whatever it took to put Prince Alonso in his place.

Mateo smiled a little at her determination to defend him and pulled her closer. Holding her waist securely with one hand, he brought his other hand up and placed it gently on her cheek–– he could feel her lean into his touch, her anger melting away as quickly as it had come.

"Really, Elena. I don't think anything he said is worth damaging Avalor's alliance with Córdoba over. Besides," Mateo sighed, "aside from the fact that I am absolutely _NOT_ after your power and riches, it's not like he said anything particularly untrue."

Eyebrows furrowed, Elena said, "What do you mean?"

"Well," Mateo stepped away from Elena and held his hands out as if in supplication, "he said exactly what I've been saying–– everything about me is so completely not royal––" he began to pace as he vented each of his fears from the past weeks, "my posture, my mannerisms, my hair, my education. I'm common to the core and I have no idea how to be a prince!"

"But none of those things are important!"

"Not important?! How can you say that?"

"Because it's true!" Elena stepped into his path, "no, listen–– it _is_ true! You have been one of my primary advisors for years now, ever since you became royal wizard. You have given me valuable advice on countless occasions. You have risked your life for my safety and the good of Avalor more times than I can count––"

"But any member of the royal guard does that on a daily basis––"

"Perhaps, but I'm not in love with any member of the royal guard. I may trust them with my life and the safety of my kingdom, but I trust you––" she placed her palm over his heart, "I trust _you_ , Mateo de Alva, with my heart."

"But I don't have a drop of noble blood in my veins! I'm so–– common–– a nobody."

"You are not a nobody! You are uncommonly kind and good–– a shining example for us all. You are uncommonly powerful with your unique connection to all things magical. You are uncommonly selfless. I assure you, _mi querido_ , that you––" she took hold of his collar with one hand and pulled his face to hers until their foreheads were touching, her eyes drawn to his lips, and said in a low whisper, "are anything but common." Closing the distance, she pressed her lips to his and kissed him deeply.

Feeling each of his worries slipping from his grasp, Mateo slid his arms around her waist–– one hand pressing tightly against the small of her back as the other found the soft skin of her neck and shoulders where he ran his thumb in little circles. A murmur of pleasure escaped the back of his throat as Elena's soft fingers tangled in his hair.

He loved this woman more than his own life and he'd do anything for her. No matter his worries, the two of them were well past the point of no return. He would marry her, regardless of how foolish everyone may think him to be. But––

"Elena?" he whispered against her lips.

"Mmmm?"

"I don't know how to be a prince. What if I fail? What if I disappoint you?"

Pulling back to look him in the eye, she said quietly, "Impossible. You could never disappoint me. Besides, I'll be right by your side to teach you everything you need to know."

"What do _you_ know about being a prince or about being married to a queen?"

Elena laughed. "Well, how different can it be from being a princess?"

Mateo smirked, saying, "According to everyone, you're an odd princess."

"Yeah, well I get the job done," she waved a dismissive hand and pursed her lips thoughtfully, "but, how about this? Tomorrow we'll ask Esteban to tutor you. He knows all about the proper way to do everything and would probably be the best person to teach you these things. Between the two of us, you'll know everything you need to know before the wedding. How does that should?"

Mateo's eyes brightened a bit. "That actually sounds perfect."

"But for tonight, we are celebrating our engagement. We will go back inside, let the nobles faun all over you, I'll give Prince Alonso a series of pointed dirty looks, and we'll eat sweets and dance until we collapse. Can you do that?"

Smiling crookedly, Mateo leaned in for a kiss and said, "For you, _mi amor_? Anything."

* * *

 _Author's Note: And so we begin another epic eleteo adventure! Yay! I'm so excited to share this story with you guys! Just in case you're new here, this is a sequel to "The Magic Within" and there are a lot of details and original characters that you may not understand unless you read the previous fic. I will be updating somewhere between once every week or every two weeks._

 _Regarding chapter 1, can we talk a moment about Doña Paloma and Prince Alonso. I wrote this chapter before Masks of Magic came out and I had to do a lot of character analysis and research to try and make sure that I wasn't writing them out of character based on the new information we received in that episode. I have come to the conclusion that even though Elena and Doña Paloma have this new understanding, Doña Paloma would not hesitate to stick her nose into palace business if she was concerned about her business's bottom line. And though Prince Alonso is trying to be more like Elena and be more responsible, I don't think he's completely reformed his arrogant ways and would have no problem looking down on anyone who wasn't royal or of the nobility. We only saw him around those of a high social status in Masks of Magic, how would he act if he came face to face with Gabe again? So anyways, I've been agonizing over these two characters for the past week, so please, if you disagree with my interpretation, that's fine but try not to judge me too harshly. I thought about creating OC's just for this but I thought the drama would be more engaging with characters we already knew and understood to some extent. :)_


	2. Chapter 2

In the early hours of the morning, Mateo lay awake in his bed— his mind far too busy to sleep. He thought of the night before and everything that had happened, breathing a sigh of relief as he realized that overall the betrothal celebration had been a success— he had been well received by Elena's court, and, to him, that was nothing short of a miracle. He was still secretly unsure of his worthiness or ability to take any kind of royal title, but he felt a little better knowing that he was going to have Elena and Esteban along with the rest of the royal family to teach him everything he needed to know.

Smiling to himself, he thought about how Elena had clung to his arm, not allowing him to leave her side the rest of the evening. She'd been practically bouncing with excitement to introduce him to everyone in her court. Mateo had been surprised at how warm and accepting each noble Elena had introduced him to had been— well, almost all of them. Some had seemed less than enthusiastic but not bothered enough to actually make a big deal about it. Elena told him not to worry himself about those people, that it was impossible to make everyone happy all the time and sometimes you just needed to count your wins and move on.

Mateo rolled over, adjusting his pillow and remembered the pleasant turn the evening had taken when they'd finally made it to the dance floor.

—

Eventually, over the course of the evening, Elena had grown bored with the small talk and pleasantries— he remembered the way her eyes kept drifting longingly to the dancefloor. Mateo wasn't a huge fan of the waltz, the dance most often done at those formal functions when Esteban was in charge of planning the music. He just couldn't seem to get the hang of it— it just felt awkward and stiff trying to make his limbs move that smoothly. However, he would be more than willing to awkwardly dance the waltz all night long if it meant dancing with Elena in his arms, so— in an uncharacteristic moment of boldness— Mateo had turned to Elena before she could speak to the next person in the crowd and bowed, offering his hand as he asked, "Your highness, would you do your fiancé the incredible honor of dancing with him?"

She beamed at him, her eyes shining with pleasure.

 _How did you know?_

Her gaze shifted as she looked coyly from beneath her lashes.

 _I just know that look in your eye._

He grinned crookedly at her.

Nodding, she had taken his hand and said lightly, "Well, I suppose since we are supposed to be celebrating our betrothal, we should dance, shouldn't we?" she called over her shoulder to the nobles she'd been talking with all evening, "Please excuse me, everyone!"

He remembered how the surrounding crowd of guests watched them closely as Mateo escorted Elena to the dance floor and twirled her around, catching her around the waist and pulling her close to him— perhaps a bit closer than propriety dictated, but the two of them had been through so much in recent months— both having come face to face with injury and death on multiple occasions— that neither of them really cared— they were just happy to be safe in each other's arms once again.

Mateo smiled as he recalled the flirty smile Elena had flashed him, "You're so good at this, _querido_."

Grinning crookedly, Mateo said, "What? Nearly stepping on your feet?"

Smacking his shoulder lightly, she said, "Hardly, you are a wonderful dancer— truthfully, you're my favorite dance partner."

"That's just because you never miss an opportunity to get your hands on me," Mateo deadpanned.

Elena burst out laughing, nearly losing her timing as she danced. "You know, there's probably more truth to that statement than you realize." She fluttered her eyelashes teasingly and continued, "You're just too irresistible for your own good, _querido_."

Pulling her a little closer, Mateo grinned, saying, "Like you're one to talk. You are overwhelmingly, heartbreakingly gorgeous tonight— more so than usual. I'm pretty sure every eligible bachelor in this room is plotting how they can get me out of the picture so that they might have a chance at winning your affection."

"Well, they should probably get used to disappointment then."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"They're not my type," she said simply.

"Then please enlighten me. What, exactly is your type?"

Elena had stepped back into a graceful twirl and as she spun back into Mateo's arms, pressing close, her mouth curving into a feline grin. Leaning in so that her lips nearly brushed his ear, she whispered, "You are."

—

Mateo smiled into his pillow at the memory as a soft knock sounded on his door, pulling him away from his early morning reverie. Looking out the window, he saw that the sun hadn't quite risen yet. There was only one person who ever visited him that early in the morning, and, sure enough, a soft, feminine voice called through the door, "Mateo? Are you awake?"

It was Elena. Early morning visits had become a semi-regular occurrence ever since they had returned from Malvara. Most of the time Mateo, being the early riser, visited Elena with a gift of coffee and pan dulce in her room, but occasionally— usually after a big night, Elena would rise first and pay him a visit.

Struggling to sit up, Mateo propped his pillows against the wall and leaned back, calling out, "Come in!"

The door inched open and Elena crept in, two mugs of coffee in one hand and a plate piled with pan dulce in the other. Nudging the door shut with her hip, she smiled shyly at Mateo sitting up in bed— clad in burgundy pajamas and his hair looking a bit like a birds nest with random curls sticking out from his head at all angles.

"Good morning _mi querido_ , did you sleep well?"

He smiled warmly as he replied, "Probably about as well as you did."

"So not at all then?"

Chuckling, Mateo said, "I suppose so. We're a lot alike, you and I. Like you, I can't sleep when my mind is running full speed after a big night.

Elena set the plate of pan dulce in Mateo's lap and slid onto the bed next to him, kissing his cheek as she handed him a coffee mug. Plucking up a piece of pan dulce from the plate, Elena sat crisscross legged and took a sip of her coffee as she peered over at Mateo.

"So, what has your mind running on full speed?"

"Oh, nothing in particular. Last night was just— a lot."

Elena cocked her head to the side and quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Aside from a few naysayers whose opinions matter very little in the grand scheme of things, I thought last night was a lot of fun," she grinned and continued, "I especially enjoyed getting to show you off to my court."

"Of course it was fun!" Mateo said quickly, "And I don't think there was a single moment that I didn't feel absolutely stunned at my good fortune to have you— the most beautiful girl with the most beautiful soul in the Ever Realm— all to myself."

Flushing with pleasure and flashing a small smile, Elena raised a questioning eyebrow,

"But––" she prompted.

"But, it's just— I'm not used to being the center of attention and I sort of realized that once we're married, that's going to be my reality. "

Elena peered at him, lips pursed in thought as she noted the uncertainty along with a hint of anxiety lurking in the shadows of his eyes. Nodding, she slid closer and slipped her arm around his shoulders as she said, "You've spent enough time at my side during my day-to-day life that you should know by now that I am not always the center of attention, and you won't be either."

Mateo smirked. "You're the center of attention wherever you go. Everyone notices you–– they can't help it. You're just too beautiful for your own good, mi amor."

Snorting, Elena retorted, "Maybe, but you have to admit, it's not the same. I don't walk around with crowds of people surrounding me all the time–– not like they do at court functions." She raised one hand to brush his untidier than usual locks from his eyes–– Mateo closed his eyes and leaned into her touch as she continued, "Now, I'll admit that–– whether I like it or not–– my family and I live in the public spotlight, but that sort of comes along with the whole royalty thing. You––" her eyes widened and she bit her lip with worry as she pulled back a bit to get a better look at Mateo's face, "––you're not having second thoughts, are you? About marrying me?"

A look of dawning horror slid across his features as he quickly said, "No!" he shook his head vehemently, "No! Of course not." Mateo hastily set his coffee mug down on his bedside table and took Elena's hands, looking earnestly into her eyes as he noted how they shone in the dim light. He worried that she was about to cry and it would be his fault–– an unforgivable offense in his opinion. Rubbing his thumbs soothingly on the backs of her hands, Mateo said, "Elena, I would do anything for you–– walk to the ends of the earth for you. I don't care how ridiculous the other nobles think I am or now uncomfortable being the center of attention makes me. I would rather face all of that than a single day without you."

He gently took Elena in his arms, pulling her against his chest. "I love you, _mi amor_ ," he paused, kissing her hair before continuing, " _mas que mi misma vida_ ," he murmured, holding her close.

Elena smiled and adjusted her position so she was snuggled against his side and–– still holding her coffee mug in one hand–– slid her other arm around his back. "I love you too," she murmured, pausing as she realized what he'd said before, "But wait–– what do you mean by the nobles thinking you're ridiculous?"

Mateo was silent long enough that Elena was about to ask again, but he said quietly, "Oh, you know. Just the fact that I wasn't born to this life–– I wasn't raised with all of the traditions and rules and etiquette that you grew up with. Like I said last night, I have no idea how to be a prince. I'm pretty sure that your court is going to have a lot to laugh about whenever I'm around."

"Now you're just being silly. We've been over this. You have nothing to worry about. Just be your beautiful, kind-hearted, caring and considerate self–– don't worry what anyone else thinks. Esteban and I will teach you everything you need to know. Don't worry!"

"Ok, don't worry. Got it." Mateo gave her a little squeeze and was quiet for a moment, still thinking over the many events of the previous evening.

"What is it, _mi querido_?"

"Are–– are you sure that marrying me isn't going to cause any trouble for you? I would never forgive myself if anything I did kept you from becoming queen. What if more in your court feel the way Doña Paloma felt?"

"Don't worry about what they think. There may be a few, but I trust my court. The majority of them trust my judgement and wish us all the happiness and joy in the world. The ones who don't? Well, leave it to Esteban. He's pretty good at convincing the others to see things his way, and you know that he fully supports our betrothal."

Mateo thought a moment and nodded, "True. Though if I remember correctly, he was less than pleased when we first shared the news."

"Oh, he was just taken by surprise. It didn't take much to convince him to see things my way."

Mateo thought for a moment before he said, "True, now that I think about it, I was actually surprised at how quickly he changed his mind. Do you remember that night?"

Laughing, Elena said, "How could I forget? You were so adorable and nervous that night and my family's reactions were priceless. That's one memory that I will always cherish."

"I'm so glad that you found my abject terror to be adorable."

"Abject terror?" Elena rolled her eyes as she giggled, "That's a little dramatic, don't you think?"

Mateo smirked. "Maybe. Just a little. But can you blame me? After the way Esteban reacted to you simply dancing with me months ago–– I was just so worried that you were going to be in trouble, and that it would be my fault! And what if your _abuela_ didn't approve? She could seriously hurt me!"

"You're so silly," Elena snickered, "Of course _abuela_ approves of you–– those were tears of joy, remember? I was afraid she was going to break your ribs, she hugged you so tightly. Abuelo immediately burst into song and Isabel squealed with delight that she was going to have a big brother. They all love you. How could they not? Even Esteban. Don't you remember what he said?"

"Which part?" Mateo snickeled, "The part where he threw his hands in the air and said, 'Aye, yi, yi, Elena! What are you thinking? You can't just decide to marry this boy!' or 'Hmm...perhaps this is a good thing. He is so much more level headed than you…'?"

Elena poked Mateo in the side, causing him to yelp as she grinned and said, "Or how about the part where he said, 'Yes, now that I think about it, Mateo has proven himself to be a hero to all of Avalor, which makes him beloved by the people and can be just as valuable if not more so than a political alliance.' See? He and I agree that you are what's best for the kingdom–– what's best for me. He knows how to handle the court, everything will be fine."

Mateo was quiet a moment as he gently rubbed his hand up and down Elena's back, thinking fondly of his new family-to-be. He was an only child and had been raised by his mother. Once his grandmother had passed away several years back, he'd only had a few aunts, uncles and cousins that he saw on holidays, but weren't terribly close to him. It warmed his heart to know that his family was about to become so large.

As these pleasant thoughts occupied his mind, a single dark thought crept to the edge of his consciousness–– the thought of a person that he tried very hard to avoid thinking about if he could help it. A person who Mateo hadn't seen in almost ten years whose parting words had echoed in Mateo's mind constantly until they'd become permanently etched into the young man's personal identity.

As Mateo wrestled with this thought, the hand on Elena's back subconsciously slowed to a stop and he became very still. Elena sensed his change in mood and craned her neck around to try and see his face.

" _Querido_?"

Mateo shook his head a little to clear it and said, "I know I've asked this before, but are you sure–– that–– that I'm worthy to stand beside you as your husband and a prince of Avalor?"

Elena sat up and turned to look him fully in the face, her eyes narrowing as she saw the dejection threatening to overcome him. "Mateo, I don't understand? Where is all of this talk of worthiness coming from? I've told you so many times that your good heart, gentle soul, sense of righteousness, and noble character are worth more than any inherited title. Why don't you believe me?" She gave him a long, piercing look and he felt as if she were peering into the depths of his soul.

Knowing that he had to tell her the words that had haunted his very existence for nearly ten years, Mateo took a deep breath–– steeling himself to reveal this bit information he had kept buried inside for so long. He looked down at his bedcovers, toying idly with the edge of his blanket as he said, "Ok–– so–– do you remember how I told you that my father had been captured by Shuriki's guards when I was eight years old?"

Whatever Elena had been expecting him to say, this wasn't it. Taken aback, she said slowly,

"Yes."

"Well, he actually wasn't my father— I mean, I though he was until that moment but it turned out he was just the man I had believed for all eight years of my life to be my father. I called him 'papi' and I had lived a relatively happy life with that knowledge. The night that he was captured my mother had told me to stay in the house, but I could see through the window— the guards were surrounding him and were trying to take him. I ran to try and defend him. I remember yelling at them to leave him alone––"

Elena stared at him, wide eyed, and said, "You–– you tried to physically stop Shuriki's guards from taking your father? At the age of eight?" She looked at him with a gleam of admiration in her eyes as she smiled sweetly, but he didn't see as he was still staring down at the blankets.

"Yeah, I didn't know any better. I loved my parents and it made me angry that the guards were trying to take my father. But then–– the guards grabbed me and tried to take me too."  
Elena gasped, "What?! They didn't! You were just a child! How did you get free?"

"Well, the guard said something about them taking me because I was his son. And Nicolás, my–– er–– father, I guess–– looked at me with the coldest look I'd ever seen and told them to let me go. His exact words were, 'He's nobody but a bastard child with nothing to his name.' I–– I was stunned. I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. But then my mother nodded with tears in her eyes and I knew it had to be true," he sighed and continued, "Those words echoed in my mind for years. I struggled to reconcile who I'd thought him to be with what he really was–– it made me wonder who I was and who my real father was. I still loved Nicolás–– he'd been acting as my father for eight years, and he'd done it well. I felt guilty that I couldn't stop the guards taking him, yet at the same time I was angry with him for lying and for saying those things about me. And now–– it–– it's kind of complicated."

Elena stared at the precious soul beside her, tears glazing her own eyes as she searched for the right words to say. She was speechless. It made sense now. Mateo's obsession with his self-worth had been something she'd been trying to help him overcome for years, and it finally made sense as to why it was such a struggle. He'd been hurt. Deeply. By someone he'd trusted in the most emotionally traumatic way possible.

She reached out to cup his face in her hands, guiding his eyes to her own and looked at him in earnest as a tear trickled down her own cheek. "Mateo, please look at me," she peered deep into his eyes, as if trying to see the soul within. She could see the hurt and the anguish and wished there was something she could do to erase that pain from his past. "I–– I can't change what happened in the past. That man, father or not, never should have said something like that about his little boy. Especially since it's the most disgusting, horrible lie I've ever heard in my life. You are not a nobody. You are Mateo de Alva, the royal wizard of Avalor. You are talented, kind, loving, gentle, hard working, determined, noble of heart and good to the core. Do you understand how few people possess a single one of those qualities, let alone that many? You are so much more than those things that man said about you. Please believe me," she finished softly.

He stared back into her warm, chocolate-colored eyes, desperately wanting to believe her, but wondered how one went about disregarding ten years of belief about one's self?

"How?" he said in a hoarse whisper, "How can I just change this thing I've believed for so long? How do you just let it go?"

Still cupping his cheek with one hand, she brought the other up to softly brush his hair out of his eyes and across his forehead. "I will never stop reminding you of what you really are–– who you really are. Just believe me and take comfort that it's true. I will never lie to you. I promise."

Elena gently pulled his face to hers and pressed her lips to his in a slow, lingering kiss—allowing all of the love and adoration she felt for him to shine through. Pulling back just a bit, she whispered, "You, Mateo de Alva, are brave," and she kissed him again. "You are a hero to us all." She kissed him once again. "You, querido, are brilliant–– loving–– kind–– gentle–– considerate–– selfless–– good––" she punctuated each word with a kiss. "And you are everything to me. I love you."

She kissed him once more, putting every ounce of fervor she possessed into that kiss. Mateo could taste the truth of her words upon her lips and something inside him snapped as he responded with a desperate kiss of his own, sliding his arms around her waist and tugging her closer to him as she eagerly slid herself onto his lap.

Her breaths became uneven as she kissed him, her fingers knotting themselves in his already messy hair while his hands slid down her back, along the elegant curve of her waist and back up again. One hand slid up to cradle the back of her head as his lips moved from hers— leaving a trail of kisses across her cheek, against the sensitive skin beneath her ear until he found himself pressing a series of urgent kisses to her neck.

A tiny squeak of pleasure sounded from the back of her throat as she tipped her head back, jolting Mateo back his senses. He froze, looking slightly ashamed of himself as his princess grinned breathlessly at him from where she was still perched in his lap.

"I–– I'm sorry, I don't–– I think I got a little carried away."

Elena blushed as she caught her breath and smiled sheepishly, "Its ok, I think I did too." She grinned as she carefully took his face in her hands and leaned in for another kiss.

Reaching up to gently grasp her wrists, Mateo said, "We should probably stop before––"

Elena grinned mischievously as she stopped his words with yet another kiss. "You worry too much, _querido_ ," she whispered against his lips.

As Mateo was about to give in to her insistence, a sharp knock sounded at the door. The couple pulled apart as though they'd been electrified.

"I think it's Maria," Mateo whispered.

"The housekeeper?"

"Yes, I'm usually up by now, so she cleans early."

Eyes dancing with mischief, Elena quickly slid from the bed and grabbed her coffee mug and another piece of pan dulce as she sat herself in a nearby chair and nodded at Mateo.

"Come in!"

The door opened and the young housekeeper walked in, freezing at the site of the royal wizard sitting in bed and the crown princess lounging in a nearby chair.

"Your majesty!" she gasped, her eyes wide with panic, "I'm so sorry! I didn't know you–– I usually–– I'm––" the poor girl spluttered, trying to find the words to adequately express her mortification.

Elena stopped her with a raised hand and a smile as she stood. "It's ok, Maria," she said brightly, "Since we had a late night, I was just bringing my fiancé breakfast in bed. But I should go so he can get ready for the day. We have a busy schedule today!"

Maria still looked worried and said, "I'll come back in half an hour if that suits you Mr. Mateo, sir?"

Mateo smiled gently at the poor flustered housekeeper. "That's fine, Maria. Thank you." Maria curtseyed to Elena and made a hasty retreat.

Elena grinned and said, "Well, on that note, I really should leave you to get ready for the day. I'll see you at the council meeting, right?"

"That sounds right to me," he grinned as he kicked back the covers and stood up to see his princess to the door. "Thanks for bringing me breakfast, by the way."

"No problem. You are always trying to take care of me so I thought I'd do something nice for you for a change." Her eyes softened and she smiled, placing a hand on his cheek,

She slid her arms around him in a tight embrace as she whispered in his ear, "Don't forget, I love you, _querido_ , and you are a true treasure."

She pulled back and smiled softly before slipping out the door, leaving Mateo smiling after her, thinking that— for the first time in almost a decade— maybe he was a somebody after all.

* * *

 _Authors Note: Thanks for reading guys! I wanted to apologize for the longer than usual wait between updates. I'll admit it, I had a bad case of writers block! But it seems to have passed now, thank goodness!_

 _This is one of those chapters where the characters sort of took over and took the story in a different direction than I'd originally planned. (They can be sort of bossy sometimes, lol). Anyways, just in case anyone was wondering I wanted to point out that Elena and Mateo are both 18, pushing 19 in this fic and have been together for almost 2 years. Just some food for thought to help put the last half of this chapter into perspective. :)_

 _As always, thanks for reading and I always appreciate your thoughtful comments and reviews. My inbox is open if you have any questions! Until next chapter!_


	3. Chapter 3

Mateo stood in the center of his room, at the epicenter of a minor explosion of clothing spreading in all directions and covering nearly every available surface. It was his first day as an honorary grand council member and he wanted to look the part. His nerves were on edge as he made what should have been a relatively simple decision into a long, drawn out ordeal.

Inviting him to be a part of the council had been Elena's idea and the rest of the council members unanimously agreed–– it was to be part of his preparation to become Elena's prince consort. Elena wanted him to attend the meetings and get a feel for the kinds of decisions she had to make on a daily basis since, once they were married and she had been crowned queen, he would be one of her primary advisors–– as her mother was to her father when he was king. As an honorary council member, he did not have a vote, however, he was given a voice–– he would be free to offer his opinion and advice on any issue brought before the council.

He knew Elena would tell him he was being silly, and that he should just wear what he would wear on any other day, however, Mateo thought his wizards robes wouldn't be appropriate. But his formal jacket was probably too much. He thought about just wearing one of his vests and sashes. Those were relatively nice looking— he'd just make sure to leave the sleeves rolled down for once, though he hated the feeling of fabric buttoned around his wrists— it was constricting and made him twitchy. But, he thought he could handle the discomfort for the sake of trying to fit into Elena's world.

Picking out a clean, white shirt and a green vest, Mateo dressed and looked in the mirror. What he saw looking back at him filled him with dread–– he looked like an overgrown child. He was eighteen–– nearly nineteen–– and as he had practically moved out of his mother's house and into the palace, he hadn't been keeping track of the fit of his clothes. Apparently, he'd experienced a growth spurt in the past year and he didn't notice because of the way he always rolled up his sleeves. The white shirt sleeves ended half way up his forearms and he couldn't quite button the cuffs where they lay. Thankfully, the shirt fit him just fine everywhere else–– it was just his limbs growing awkwardly longer.

Mateo sighed in frustration as he realized that his pants were a few inches too short as well, but at least his knee high boots would hide that problem. He was technically an adult, a man–– why couldn't his body figure that out? He had expected his shoulders and chest to fill out his clothes at least a little when he had finally passed adolescence, but no. He was having growth spurts like he was twelve years old again and was just as lanky and awkward looking as ever.

And his hair! He glared at the unruly loose curls that grew in every direction and refused to be tamed. He'd never seen a noble with hair like his–– he'd have to figure some way to get it under control. He thought about cutting it, but knew it would break Elena's heart if he took such a rash course of action. Peering critically into the mirror, he noticed the hazel green eyes that Elena always described as warm and mesmerizing, but he thought just looked a little too large for his face. And his nose, well, he supposed his nose was ok. The young wizard looked gloomily at his reflection and wondered what in the world it was that Elena saw in him because, try as he might, he couldn't seem to get past feeling awkward–– like a square peg in a round hole.

Returning his attention to the task at hand, Mateo knew he had two choices–– he could either roll the sleeves up in his characteristic casual style, or he'd have to pick something else to wear. His alternate choices were his wizards robe, which felt even more casual than rolling up his sleeves or his formal suit.

He paused a moment, trying to remember what the other council wore. Elena wore the same beautiful red everyday dress no matter the occasion— he smiled softly thinking about how breathtaking she looked no matter what she was wearing. Naomi wore the same clothes she wore any other time, which were pretty casual. But he never thought she didn't fit in on the council–– perhaps it was her confidence that overruled her wardrobe choices? He'd fit in with her at least if he rolled up his sleeves or wore his robe, but she didn't care what anyone thought about her–– and he supposed that was a good thing, but he'd be lying if he tried to say that he didn't care what others thought. The truth was he cared very much what everyone else thought. Of course, Elena's opinion by far mattered the most but he also knew that while she wasn't fussed with formalities in the slightest but Esteban and Francisco were. And both of them always wore very nice jackets that were almost formal in nature.

That decided it. Mateo would wear his formal suit to the council meeting. He would hold his head high, put on a smile, and do his best to pretend that he belonged there at Elena's side. If he pretended long enough, maybe–– just maybe–– he'd eventually believe it.

Mateo dressed in his dark green suit from the night before. Elena had actually commissioned it specially as a gift for their engagement party, so he knew she at least would like it. The dark emerald green matte satin jacket had been tailored to fit his frame perfectly. He smiled, remembering how Elena had said the color really brought out his eyes. The cut was a little wide in the shoulders–– which he liked because it gave him the appearance of being slightly broader than he really was across the shoulders–– and tapered down to the middle of his thighs but fit snugly at his waist, where the green was accented with a burnished gold sash. He really liked the suit, and hoped that it would be appropriate for the council meeting.

"Well, I suppose this is as good as its going to get," Mateo muttered at his reflection as he tried unsuccessfully to flatten his unruly hair.

Taking a deep breath and doing his best to stand tall, Mateo left his room and headed towards the grand council chamber. As he rounded a corner, he heard a voice from behind call out, "Hey, Mateo!"

Turning, Mateo saw Gabe hurrying to catch up with him. In his nervous state, Mateo gave his friend a half smile–– until he noticed what Gabe was wearing.

"Uh, Gabe? Is that an olaball jersey you're wearing over your royal guard uniform?"

Falling into step beside Mateo, Gabe looked down and grinned. "Yup! I don't really follow olaball myself but most of the other guards are wearing them today. I guess the Avaloran pro olaball team won some championship in Norberg last week, so we're celebrating."

"Huh. Weird, but alright then."

"So, speaking of weird outfit choices, why are you wearing your formal suit again today? You do know that there are no royal balls anytime soon, right?"

"What? Oh, this?" Mateo looked down at his suit, "Nah, I didn't have anything else to wear and thought this would be better than nothing."

Cocking his head to the side, Gabe raised a confused eyebrow and asked, "Wait? What! You don't have ANYTHING else to wear today? Did you forget to send your laundry in again?"

Mateo snorted, smiling a bit before he said, "Very funny, no. I guess Elena has decided that I should be part of the council until the wedding so I can learn more about her job. And I didn't know what else to wear."

"Umm… you do realize that they all wear their everyday clothes to the council meetings, right?" Gabe chuckled.

Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, Mateo said, "Yeah, well, I just didn't think what I had was good enough and this sort of looks like something Esteban and Francisco would wear, so I thought, 'Why not?'"

"Eh, whatever you say," Gabe shrugged, "But Elena's going to say you're over thinking this."

"Yeah, I know," Mateo sighed.

Gabe clapped him on the back, "Well, I gotta go finish my rounds, but good luck! Talk to you later!"

Mateo waved him on and continued to the council chamber. He knew he was a few minutes early, which meant that Elena wouldn't be there yet–– she was notoriously late to this particular meeting, which drove Esteban mad.

Pausing before the door to the council chamber, wondering if he should wait outside a moment, and go in when Elena arrived. Or maybe he should go to Elena's room and walk with her here–– or maybe––

" _Querido!_ " Mateo grinned as his favorite voice in the world called out to him and ended his ridiculous panic attack before it had begun.

"Afternoon, _mi amor_!" he called back cheerfully, turning and walking towards her.

Elena beamed at her fiance and trotted the last few yards to reach him, throwing her arms around him and pressing an enthusiastic kiss to his lips. Mateo happily responded, slipping his own hands around her waist and enjoyed the feel of his lips molding together with hers. He didn't think he would ever understand the why or how, but she had an amazing affect on him–– he always forgot his fears and insecurities when they were together.

She pulled back and smiled softly before saying, "I missed you."

"I missed you too, but really, it's been what? An hour since we were together?"

Laughing her musical laugh, she flashed him a flirty smile. "And I've been thinking about that time we were together for the entire hour–– you know––" she leaned in conspiratorially and whispered in his ear, "I wouldn't mind getting a little carried away with you again sometime soon."

Mateo blushed but smiled. "You, _mi amor_ , are incorrigible. Have I ever told you that?"

"Perhaps once or twice," she said lightly as she looked him up and down. Frowning slightly, she asked, "Mateo? Why are you wearing your formal suit?"

Mateo blushed an even deeper scarlet as his hand shot to the back of his neck. "Well, I–– wait. Are you wearing _an olaball jersey_?"

In his distraction with her smile, her joy at seeing him and, of course, the kissing, Mateo had failed to notice what she was wearing–– her turquoise, red and gold Avaloran olaball team jersey.

"What? Oh, right. Yeah, didn't you hear? The Avalor City Jaquins completely obliterated the team from Norberg in the finals last week so we're celebrating."

"I thought it was just the royal guard," Mateo said weakly, dread building in his chest, "So you're celebrating along with the royal guard, then?"

"No, we all are," Elena laughed, "I'm so sorry! I totally forgot to tell you in our–– er–– distraction this morning."

"No, it's fine but what do you mean, 'we all are?'"

"Oh, well, come and see," Elena gestured to the council chamber door before grasping it and swinging it open.

Mateo's heart nearly stopped in his chest at the scene before him. The four council members were all dressed in the Avaloran team's jerseys, while Francisco and Esteban actually had their faces painted in the Avaloran teams colors.

"Hey guys!" Naomi called out before looking at Mateo in confusion, "Hey Mateo! What's with the monkey suit?"

Esteban shot her a glare. "That is most certainly not a 'monkey suit', Ms. Turner. While slightly overdressed for the occasion, you could stand to take a few pointers from our royal wizard in how to dress to impress."

"You're only saying that because you helped Elena pick it out," Naomi countered to which Esteban replied with a withering glare.

Groaning, Mateo buried his face in his hands a moment as he collected himself. He looked at the council members who all looked back at him with expressions ranging from pitying to highly amused.

"I–– er–– I didn't know what I should wear, so I thought––" Mateo truly wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole so he could disappear and try to get over his mortification.

Elena slid an arm around him, saying soothingly, "It's fine. Seriously, it doesn't matter what you wear to the council meeting. You can come in your pajamas if you wanted, though Esteban might lecture you on proper attire for council functions," she shot a playful look at her cousin who simply raised an incredulous eyebrow, shaking his head in response, "but really, your wizard's robe would have been fine."

He felt a tiny bit better as she gave him a little squeeze and guided him around the table pointing out an empty chair between her own and where Francisco was sitting. "Look! This is your seat, right next to mine!" She beamed, pulling the chair out for him. "Here, sit!"

In spite of himself, Mateo grinned at her excitement and took his seat. Elena sat beside him, practically bouncing in her happiness as she called the meeting to order, giving the floor over to Esteban who led the council through the agenda, pausing after each line item for discussion— though Mateo found it somewhat difficult to take the chancellor seriously with his face painted the way it was.

There was one awkward moment where Mateo developed a hacking cough and Naomi stared at the ceiling for five minutes straight, trying not to grin as Esteban read off a complaint registered against the Malvaran ambassador by Doña Paloma and Prince Alonso.

"What complaint could they possibly have against Tomàs?" Elena asked, an eyebrow raised in confusion as she looked curiously between her fiance and her best friend.

Esteban's eyebrows furrowed as he read over the charge. "Hmm...apparently he made outrageous accusations–– Mr. de Alva? Do you need to step outside?"

Mateo calmed himself and shook his head, "No. Sorry, Esteban. I'm fine now." He shared a long look with Elena before turning his attention back to the chancellor.

 _What was that about, querido?_

Mateo shook his head, _I'll explain later._

"Apparently the ambassador made some sort of outrageous claim to intimate knowledge of a scandal within the Còrdoban court."

Raising his eyebrows in surprise, Francisco interjected, "And they thought to register a complaint with the crown princess of Avalor?"

Elena gave Mateo a piercing look. _This is about that stuff Alonso said to you last night, isn't it?_

Sheepishly, Mateo rubbed the back of his neck and grinned crookedly. _Yeah, he may have implied that Alonso's court was looking for any excuse to avoid having him take the throne._

Elena covered her mouth as she snorted with laughter. Everyone in the room froze and stared expectantly at her outburst.

"So, are you going to let us in on the joke?" Naomi asked.

Shaking her head, Elena said, "No, sorry! I just thought of something funny, that's all." She straightened in her chair and cleared her throat. "Honestly, it sounds like a quibble between the Còrdoban prince and the Malvaran ambassador. I don't see how there's much that we can do, unless they begin a feud that puts Avalor in danger."

"This is true," Esteban said thoughtfully, looking rather comical as he stroked the bright red half of his mustache between two fingers, "Truthfully, I haven't the faintest clue as to why they brought it to our attention. It's hardly our place to mediate in such a petty squabble––"

"I know exactly why," Naomi cut in, ignoring Mateo's silent pointed stare begging her to be quiet, "Sorry for interrupting, Esteban but I thought you'd like to know why Alonso and Doña Paloma complained to you about what the Malvaran ambassador said–– I was there when it happened."

Esteban peered at her with an assessing eyebrow raised. "Please, enlighten us, Ms. Turner."

"Well, you should know that the two of them were standing just next to where Gabe, Tomàs, Mateo and myself were, speaking very loudly and pointedly about how foolish Elena was to choose to marry a commoner––"

Luisa gasped, "What?! They really said that? About Elena and Mateo?" Her eyes narrowed and she looked ready to fight.

Esteban rolled his eyes. "Of course they said that," he said in exasperation, "I think I need to have a talk with our dear magister of the trade guild and remind her that goodwill can be just as powerful a currency as gold and silver."

Nodding in agreement, Naomi continued, "Yeah, and Alonso made some comment about how his court would demand he abdicate the throne if he made such a ridiculous choice so Tomàs decided to go to Mateo's defense and told Alonso that he'd heard a rumor that his court was simply desperate to avoid having him on the throne."

"I thought Ambassador Tomàs was here to make friends on behalf of Malvara? King Alejandro may not be pleased to hear his ambassador is in essence making enemies," Francisco said, concern lining his features.

Elena shook her head, "Malvara's not terribly concerned with making friends just yet, they've been isolated and independent for so long, they feel they really have nothing to lose by angering a few people along the way if that's what it takes to stand up for what they believe in."

Shrugging, Esteban said, "I understand now. It seems to me that Doña Paloma is trying to hint at the interkingdom trouble this betrothal is already causing." He eyed Elena thoughtfully and continued just as she had opened her mouth to protest, "however, seeing as it's pretty clear that it was her own gossip and the fact that she was purposely trying to provoke the crown princess's intended…"

Mateo sat tall and straight faced as he listened to Esteban's musing on the situation, but couldn't help the flush creeping up his neck and into his cheeks, the feeling of shame that his mere presence in the palace was causing trouble for Elena. He felt a slim hand cover his own from under the table, squeezing gently. Looking sidelong at the crown princess he was surprised at the fierceness he saw gleaming in her eye.

 _Just stop._

Mateo raised an eyebrow. _What?_

 _Whatever you're thinking right now, just stop. It's not your fault that one vindictive woman is nosing around trying to cause trouble. It's not your fault that our friend Tomàs_ _stepped up to defend you last night. So just stop feeling guilty, ok?_ Her gaze softened and she let her adoration for him shine through in the smile she gave him.

Smiling crookedly, he raised an eyebrow in response. _Fine. You're right._

Naomi coughed pointedly, saying, "You know, we may need to ban Mateo from council meetings if you two are going to keep getting lost in each other's eyes like that. He's clearly a distraction."

"This is true," Esteban said, a sly smile on his own face as he crossed his arms, watching his cousin and the royal wizard as they both blushed, looking a little sheepish after getting caught staring at one another.

"Haha. Very funny, but that won't be necessary." Elena grabbed a sheet of the royal stationery stacked neatly in front of her, crumpled it into a ball and threw it at Naomi, who caught it and laughed. Elena turned back to the rest of the council and said, "But seriously, Mateo needs to be here. This is a great training opportunity for him and speaking of training opportunities," Elena stopped and smiled widely at the chancellor who narrowed his eyes suspiciously but waited for her to drop whatever surprise he knew was coming. "Mateo needs a crash course in basic royal education before the wedding–– I'd considered teaching him everything I know but I recognize that there are some areas that I may not be the most qualified one to teach him."

"What are you proposing, _mija_?" Luisa asked curiously.

"Well," Elena paused, looking at the chancellor as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and continued, "I was hoping that I could convince you, cousin, to take Mateo under your wing and teach him everything he needs to know about life in the palace."

"Me?!" Esteban looked truly surprised, "Why me? Why not hire a tutor for the boy?"

It took every ounce of self control Elena possessed to refrain from rolling her eyes. "First, he's not a "boy", he's an adult. And second, dear cousin, a tutor wouldn't be knowledgeable about life as a royal in our family. Truly, you know the most about our court and life as a royal. You're practically a prince yourself!" She smiled warmly at her cousin. "Who better to teach my future prince consort how to be a prince than you?"

Esteban puffed out his chest the tiniest bit and twirled his mustache, saying, "This is true. You make a good point," he preened a bit as Elena glanced sidelong at Mateo, and the two tried not to laugh aloud as he continued, "Very well, I will teach young Mr. de Alva everything I know about being a royal. Mateo, we will start our lessons in the library next Monday after lunch. Do you find that to be a suitable time?"

Mateo coughed to clear his throat and said, "Yes. That works for me."

"Great!" Elena said cheerfully, "That's settled then. Esteban? Do we have any further agenda items to discuss?"

The meeting continued uneventfully as they discussed various projects and issues requiring the crown princess's direct attention. Mateo found himself to be fascinated with the way Elena's eyes shone with confidence and pride as she fully stepped into her role as crown princess and took charge of each situation. She was so beautiful–– on the inside and out.

Once in awhile, Elena would reach casually under the table to interlace her fingers with Mateo's or she'd give his knee a quick squeeze of encouragement as she listened to his opinions and advice on each matter–– she always turned to ask his opinion on each topic.

As the meeting progressed, Mateo found himself feeling almost comfortable sitting there at her side, offering his advice for whatever it was worth. He felt like everything he said, she truly listened to and valued. She weighed every word that he said just as fully as she weighed the council's advice and her own thoughts. She treated him like an equal and, he couldn't help the warmth that filled him from within as he made that realization.

After what felt like hours had passed, the council was discussing the details of the final agenda item when the door opened and Armando crept in, looking for all the world as if he'd seen a ghost. Though, he was so superstitious about every legend he'd ever heard, they all had a hard time taking his nervousness seriously.

"M– my apologies, your majesty, but may I p– please borrow Chancellor Esteban for a moment? It's urgent." He wrung his hands in front of him as he shot a panicked look at Esteban who looked utterly nonplussed, but stood and excused himself to speak with the chief of the castle, leaving a puzzled grand council behind.

Elena glanced around the room, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she met Mateo's gaze. "What do you think that was about? Armando has never interrupted a council meeting before."

Shrugging, Mateo said, "I have no idea! He looked terrified of something though." His eyebrows furrowed with worry, "You don't think something bad is happening out in the city? Like an attack or something, do you?"

"But why wouldn't he tell all of us?" Francisco asked, "That's definitely something that should be brought immediately to the crown princess's attention. This is very strange, indeed."

The council chamber doors opened and Esteban returned, looking rather pale–– as if he too had seen a ghost.

"Esteban?" Elena asked, concern filling her warm amber eyes, "Esteban, what's wrong?

Esteban walked over to one of the wide, arching windows and stared out over the city a moment, with his hands clasped behind his back, before turning to the rest of the council. "I–– I can't believe it—" he shook his head a little as he paused, a haunted shadow flickering across his eyes, "I never knew—" he took his seat and put his head in his hands, clearly bothered by whatever had transpired outside the council chamber.

Elena watched her cousin, worry clouding her features— this was not typical Esteban behavior, and for him to be behaving in such a manner— well, she hadn't seen that haunted look in his eyes since the first weeks after Shuriki's defeat.

Mateo reached for Elena's hand, silently offering his strength and support for whatever was about to be revealed. He had a feeling that whatever it was would be a shock, if it had Esteban so shaken.

Luisa rose from her chair and went to her grandson, standing beside his chair and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "What is it, _mijito_? What happened?" she said in a near whisper.

Taking a deep breath as he sat up squaring his shoulders, he said, "I–– I never knew what had happened to the prisoners Shuriki had captured. To my knowledge, she almost never held executions, but I assumed that one way or another those people––" he swallowed hard, clasping his hands tightly together on the table before him and continued, "––well no one ever was seen again once she'd taken them."

Elena peered at him closely before saying, "Esteban, please, what does this have to do with what Armando told you?"

"A person claiming to have been one of Shuriki's prisoners has arrived, claiming to have escaped from a labor camp–– a labor camp that is still in operation today."

Elena gasped and clutched Mateo's hand tightly to her as Mateo's mouth fell open–– he stared at the chancellor in shock. Shuriki's prisoners? Were alive? Could that mean–– could it possibly mean—

Was Nicolás–– his father–– alive?


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - Oh my gosh guys, I am so so so sooooo sorry it's been so long since I've updated this fic! I didn't want to post this until I got a few more chapters finished, but I feel awful that I left you all with a cliffhanger for so long. Ack! So, I've decided to post this chapter to prove that this fic is still alive and well :) It's just slow going. Though, I can't promise when the next chapter will be ready and will not committing be to a posting schedule, just be patient with me please! Thanks! Enjoy! :)**

* * *

The atmosphere in the grand council chamber was thick with anticipation.

Francisco and Luisa sat in silence, sharing a long look, communicating in a wordless language of their own. Esteban sat at the council table with his head in his hands muttering distractedly to himself. Naomi looked sympathetically between each of the council members, knowing how they must all have carried the burdens of their people's suffering for so long, when her eyes fell upon Elena and Mateo at the center of the long table. Eyebrows furrowing in confusion, she watched Elena, who she was surprised to see wasn't pacing as she was prone to do in such high stress moments. Elena was watching Mateo— almost unblinkingly— her mouth turned down in an almost imperceptible frown.

Though Elena tried to keep her face smooth and free of emotion, she couldn't help the anxiety coursing through her as they waited for Armando to escort the refugees into the council chamber. Turning in her seat to get a better look at Mateo, she could see the haunted shadows flickering in his eyes. Squeezing his hand gently, their eyes met.

 _You're worried Nicolás de Alva is about to walk through that door, aren't you?_

Mateo gave her a half smile. _Was it that obvious?_

 _Only to me._ She smiled softly and leaned into his arm. _Just remember, I'm right here beside you no matter who comes through that door._

Nodding, he pressed himself into her side. He swallowed hard as he looked into her eyes and saw his soulmate and life partner looking back out at him. He could do this— he didn't even know if it was Nicolás who had arrived. There were hundreds of people Shuriki had captured after all.

What were the odds?

They were jolted back to reality as they heard the rattle of the council chamber door knob turning and the door was pushed open. Elena sprang to her feet, still clutching Mateo's hand, as she watched Armando step into the room— her smooth, emotionless mask giving way to nervous anticipation. Heart racing, Mateo stood, staying close by her side, each lending the other strength and support for whatever discovery they were about to make.

Armando still looked a little pale, but seemed to have collected himself. Clearing his throat nervously, he pulled himself to his full height— which admittedly wasn't much— and surveyed the council chamber as he said, "Your majesty? Grand council? May I introduce the Lady Jimena and the Lord Antonio? Formerly of Avalor but recently escaped from a prison camp in the Northern Islands." He bowed and stepped to the side, ushering the aforementioned guests through the door.

Still clutching Elena's hand as if it was a lifeline, Mateo released a breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding. Neither of the refugees standing in the doorway looked even remotely like the man he had once called "father". Mixed emotions warred within him as he tried to reconcile the supreme relief and disappointment that nearly overwhelmed him.

The pair of refugees crept through the door, eyes darting nervously around the room as if looking for danger. Both looked to be middle aged–– perhaps in their early fifties–– and wore little more than rags.

Lady Jimena gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, her eyes filling with tears as they fell upon Elena.

"Princess Elena!" she cried out, falling to her knees, as Lord Antonio quickly followed suit. "I– I can't believe it's you! We thought you died almost 43 years ago. But–– you're back!"

Elena and Mateo exchanged a look as Elena squeezed his hand and stepped away, hurrying around the table to the pair. Kneeling beside the woman, Elena placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Please, you don't have to kneel or bow before me."

Lady Jimena sniffled and looked up into the kind face of the princess she remembered from her childhood so many years before and smiled shakily.

Elena said, "I think you must have quite a story to tell. Will you please tell it to us?"

The lady nodded.

Elena called out to no one in particular, "Could we bring in a few chairs for our guests, please?"

To her surprise, Esteban leapt from his seat and hurried from the room, calling over his shoulder, "I'll take care of it!"

A moment later he returned with Armando, each carrying a stuffed wingback chair and a blanket. They arranged the chairs in front of the council table. Elena helped Lady Jimena up and led her to one of the chairs, directing her to sit as Esteban slipped the blanket around her shoulders.

Mateo appeared at Elena's elbow, reaching past as he handed the woman a hot cup of tea, which she took gratefully, murmuring, "Thank you."

Elena glanced at him in surprise, _Where you get that from? Magic?_

Mateo shrugged, smiling crookedly.

 _You're amazing, querido._

Blushing, Mateo handed a second cup to Lord Antonio who had settled comfortably in the other chair, and walked back to his own seat. Once Elena had ensured the comfort of their guests, she went back to her seat beside him.

Lady Jimena took a sip from her cup and said, "Thank you, your highness, for your hospitality. I'll be honest," she glanced sidelong at her partner, "we didn't expect to find help from the palace when we arrived. In fact, we'd planned to lie low and find help through old contacts we'd hoped had survived the years."

Elena raised an eyebrow curiously. "I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand. Why would you think we wouldn't help you?"

Lord Antonio spoke up, "Because, your highness, until we docked our boat, as far as we knew, Shuriki was still on the throne."

Esteban flinched at those words, haunted shadows flickering in his eyes, "But she's dead," he said hoarsely, "She died over two years ago!"

The refugees looked intently at the chancellor and at each other. Swallowing hard, Lady Jimena said, "No, she's not. As far as the Avalorans in the labor camps knew, she was still queen. She'd visited our camp only few months ago, just before we made our escape."

The grand council stared openly, varying degrees of shock evident on each face.

"But she fell of the bridge!" Luisa cried out, her eyes flashing angrily, "I saw her!"

"Apparently she survived the fall," Francisco said slowly, thoughtfully stroking his beard, "and retreated to a place where the people still regarded her as queen."

"Only because we didn't know any different," Jimena said with a dark look, as if offended that the witch had been able to fool her.

Mateo's mind reeled with the possibilities. Could this mean that Shuriki was plotting further revenge against Elena? As punishment for leading the final charge against her? He clenched his fists in his lap as he silently vowed to keep the witch's cursed magic from touching his beloved ever again.

He glanced at Elena, his heart clenching painfully at the panic he saw flickering in her wide eyed stare. Jumping slightly as Mateo slid his hand around hers, Elena looked into the eyes of the one who had played a key role in pulling her from her 41 year nightmare–– were they about to endure another?

 _Shhh...mi amor. It's ok._

Elena let the pain and fear show to the one person she knew she didn't have to put on a brave face for. _I thought she was gone forever._

 _We'll be ready for anything she tries. Just remember,_ he smiled reassuringly, _I'm with you–– all the way._ He squeezed her hand and flashed her favorite crooked grin.

Elena raised an eyebrow, _Didn't I tell you the same thing a few minutes ago?_

Shrugging, Mateo quirked his own eyebrow in return, _That's why we're perfect for each other, I suppose._

Elena took a deep, shuddering breath as she put on her brave crown princess face and turned back to their guests.

"Please, Lady Jimena, Lord Antonio, tell us your story and how we can help." She gestured for them to speak and sat tall, listening intently as she kept her fingers interlaced with Mateo's.

The refugees looked at one another and Antonio nodded for his wife to begin. Clearing her throat, the lady said, "As you know, I am Lady Jimena Salazar formerly of House Martín and this is my husband, Lord Antonio Salazar. Our parents were members of King Raul's court when we were just children–– before the witch invaded. Our families were among the nobility who opposed Shuriki, but laid low for many years until we could figure out what could possibly be done about it. In those years, families were torn apart and many were taken prisoner by the witch for "law breaking"–– things like singing or dancing in public, speaking against the queen, or showing signs of having magic. Punishments were never temporary, if one of your family members was taken prisoner, you never saw them again."

The room was silent, each council member listening intently as the lady spoke. Francisco spoke up, "Was the fate of her prisoners known to anyone?" He looked at Esteban as he spoke.

Esteban swallowed hard, exchanging a dark look with Armando, and shook his head. "No, it was a mystery to all of us. Even those of us who served closest to the throne. Shuriki had many secrets and she never confided all of her plans and projects to any one person."

Antonio nodded, "This is an accurate statement. The people throughout the kingdom certainly had no knowledge of the whereabouts of their loved ones. Even those of us in the nobility who spent a certain amount of time at court had no clue. After the first few years, it became assumed that prisoners were quietly executed. We thought perhaps that she maintained the mystery to enhance the climate of fear that she preferred to maintain throughout her reign."

"How awful!" Luisa cried out quietly, tears shining in her eyes. Francisco slipped a comforting arm around her shoulders.

Jimena continued, "This continued until about fifteen years ago when whispers of a resistance forming began to be heard throughout the kingdom. Everyone wanted in, from the lowliest peasant to the highest ranking noble–– including much of the palace staff and even a few of the guards. It was slow going at first, but over the following years, the resistance quietly grew. My husband and I joined as soon as we heard. Our plan was to infiltrate the palace and quietly take Shuriki down from within through stealth. We had eyes and ears all over the kingdom and inside the palace. Hope had quietly taken root in the hearts and minds of the people. It really felt like we were on to something and could be successful," Jimena's voice trailed off as her eyes shone with the memories of the work she'd helped with so many years ago.

Antonio took her hand, sharing a look with his wife, cleared his throat and continued on her behalf, "We even heard rumors that you, Princess Elena, were out there somewhere, biding your time and that the old royal wizard, Alacazar, had gone looking for you. The time was drawing near. Our plan was to defeat the sorceress and clear the way for your return, but––" he paused, looking away as he blinked rapidly.

"You were betrayed," Elena said in a near whisper.

"Yes, on the eve of our victory," Jimena continued, her voice thick with emotion, "our cause was betrayed. We later learned that one of our members had been captured and tortured for information about the resistance. That person had relayed our meeting place as well as the time and the date of our last meeting. Shuriki and a battalion of guards stormed our headquarters. Many of our comrades made it to safety, but dozens of us were captured as we tried to flee."

"Including yourself and your husband," Elena finished.

"Indeed," Jimena affirmed, "That was the night we learned exactly what happened to most of Shuriki's prisoners."

Antonio spoke up, "Dozens of us were sent to the dungeons and the guard captain sorted us like we were cattle, put manacles on our wrists and ankles and loaded us onto multiple ships. We sailed for weeks in the dark cargo hold with only a small ration of bread and water to eat and drink."

Naomi looked like she was going to be ill as she listened to the description of their sea voyage. "I can't believe they stuffed you in the cargo hold! That is not a space suitable for human passengers on any ship!"

"We weren't passengers," Jimena said with a wry smile edged with bitterness, "we were slaves–– human cargo."

"But there is nowhere in the Ever Realm where slavery is legal!" Luisa said, outraged.

"When you're the queen, you apparently make your own rules," Jimena said with a shrug.

Esteban clapped a hand to his face, muttering, "Aye yi yi, that's probably one of the reasons she kept it a secret. Imagine the diplomatic disaster that would be if word got out that Avalor legalized slavery. What a mess!"

"And there was one place slavery was legal until a few months ago. One place where they had no allies to appease and did as they wished for millenia," Elena pointed out.

"Malvara," Francisco said, nodding his head, "Shuriki's home kingdom."

"Yes, as a Malvaran magic wielder–– mediocre and middle class as she was–– she had no problem with the idea of holding slaves."

"Malvara?" Jimena said cocking her head to one side curiously, "You mean that reclusive island nation in the north? The one where all of Shuriki's magical overseers came from?"

"Wait. What?" Elena said quickly, her eyes widening in surprise, "I'm sorry, are you telling me that she has other sorcerers out on those islands?"

"She _had_ sorcerers out on those islands. She doesn't anymore. Do you think we'd be here right now if she did?" Jimena said.

Perplexed, Elena raised a questioning eyebrow. "Why not?"

Antonio spoke up, "What you have to understand, your highness, is that they had our island protected by a magical barrier that no one but a Malvaran sorcerer could pass through, in or out. Plus, they had every single one of us under a spell binding us to our overseer. If any one got too far away from their overseer, they died. It only took one person finding out the hard way for the rest of us to understand what was at stake."

"We were powerless," Jimena said in a hoarse whisper, "Utterly powerless to do a thing against them once we were under their spell."

Elena and Mateo exchanged dark looks. They remembered all too well the effects of _that_ particular Malvaran spell. Elena squeezed his hand, perhaps a little too hard, but he understood. She was livid. Completely livid that their people–– her people–– had been treated in such a way. Mateo knew the feeling. He was angry that Avalorans whose only crime was to stand up against a murdering witch had become slaves, and not only that, but Nicolás–– whom he still didn't know how to feel about–– the man who, though he lied and said horrible things to Mateo in the end, had been his father figure for the first eight years of his life. Had Nicolás been treated the same? Had he endured the same horrible fate?

Elena took a deep calming breath and said, in a steady voice that Mateo found rather impressive, "What happened to the sorcerers? How did you get away?"

"That's the funny thing," Jimena said thoughtfully, "we don't really know. A few months ago we were working as per usual when a disturbance flickered. It was like a wave of energy–– it apparently disrupted their spells. The overseers were staggered–– we think the energy wave disrupted their magic too."

"It did," Elena said matter-of-factly, her eyes gleaming with pride, "Mateo, here," she gestured to her royal wizard with one hand while squeezing his fingers with the other, "destroyed the source of the Malvaran's enhanced magical powers. It's a long story as to why, one for another time. Just know that our royal wizard is responsible for that disruption in their magic."

Jimena and Antonio regarded Mateo with wide eyes. "You–– you must be very powerful, young man, to have been able to accomplish such a thing," Jimena said warily.

Mateo shook his head modestly, saying, "Not really, I never could have done it alone. I had the Scepter of Light and Crown Princess Elena's help."

Jimena peered closely at him, as if trying to solve a complex puzzle before she saying, "You are in our debt, regardless. We never could have hoped to attain freedom without you," she nodded her thanks and continued her story, "So the sorcerers panicked, fearing what would happen to them without their magic once we realized they were now powerless. They fled in their ship, leaving us to our own devices. We were shocked, not knowing what to do now that we were free. Of course, we stopped all mining operations immediately and raided the overseers homes left behind for supplies."

"Wait," Elena said quickly, worry creasing her brow, "do the people left behind have food to eat? Clean water to drink?"

"Don't worry, your highness," Jimena said kindly, looking pleased by Elena's concern, "They are in no immediate danger. The supply ships usually brought dry goods that could be stored easily. There are enough grains, dried fruit and meats for them to survive at least a year. And their quality of life increased significantly once the overseers supplies became available to them. And we do have fresh water on the island, however," she paused, looking uncertainly at her husband before continuing, "it would be best if we could send help sooner rather than later."

Antonio spoke up, "This is true, the sorcerers took the ship but left a small sailboat behind. It was large enough for only a handful of people and supplies. It was soon decided that the two of us would sail out in hopes of finding passage off of that island for those left behind. Our plan had been to find a ship for hire and try to convince them that wealth was waiting for them on the islands–– seeing as we were mining diamonds, we figured the other work camps would be mining some other precious resource to make that greedy witch wealthier than she already was."

Jimena blinked rapidly, trying to hold back tears as she said in a low, hoarse voice, "But when we docked in the harbor, we immediately noticed the change in the mood around the city. Music and laughter echoed in the streets–– it was like waking up from a nightmare. It was the Avalor City from our childhood, only more beautiful. If that's even possible." She sniffled, swiping at the tears trickling down her cheeks. "And then, we heard in the streets that Crown Princess Elena sat on the throne, not Shuriki, so we came here–– to the palace–– in hopes that you would take up our plight and rescue your people."

"How many people are on the island you were from and how many islands were there?" Francisco asked.

"There were 56 adults and 22 children on our island when we left," Antonio answered after quickly counting on his fingers. "We're not sure how many islands total, only that there were more, they each were rich in a different resource, there were a few hundred workers, and that ours was the closest to the mainland."

"Children?! There were children on your island?!" Luisa said angrily.

"Yes," Jimena said sadly, "Though thankfully none of them had been captured by Shuriki. They had all been born over the years their parents had been held captive on the island."

"They–– they weren't slaves too, were they?" Elena asked with trepidation.

"They were. Though once they were old enough to work–– around age seven–– they did a lot of the domestic work around the overseers homes. They didn't join the miners until they turned fifteen."

The room was silent, each of the council members pondering this extraordinary tale.

Mateo looked at Elena, meeting her eye and he could see his own need for action mirrored in her lovely face. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't disappointed when the middle-aged couple had entered the council chamber— though he'd also be lying if he said he wasn't equally relieved. His feelings about Nicolás de Alva were complicated to say the least. However, feelings about his father— or the man who lied about being his father— aside, Mateo felt a rising sense of urgency as the couple told their story. He wanted to go and find these people and bring them home, and, judging from the fierce determination that sparked in Elena's eye, he was pretty sure they were both of the same mind.

 _We have to go get them._

She nodded, _Agreed._

They nodded in unison and Elena stood, placing her hands on the council table as she looked around, acknowledging each council member and their guests as she said, "I think we're all in agreement. Those are our people out there. We have to go and bring them home–– _NOW._ "


	5. Chapter 5

All eyes were on Elena and, for once, they all mirrored her sentiment exactly. There were Avalorans who had been imprisoned and enslaved for some part of the past 43 years, trapped on remote islands with questionable levels of food stores and no way to escape. What was worse was that Avalor had been free from the wicked sorceress for over two years and unbeknownst to the royal family, these people suffered on while the rest of the kingdom rebuilt and thrived in comfort under the benevolent rule of their crown princess.

There wasn't a single doubt in that room–– they _would_ go and find their lost people and they would do it without delay.

Mateo watched, eyes sparking with concern as Elena began pacing the room— her mind whirring with all of the details that would need to be planned before they set out on this rescue mission. They would need ships, supplies, guards, magic–– so many things would need to be considered and organized. He wished for some way to lift this burden from her shoulders–– this was a big job, even for her, what she needed was someone who could come alongside her and–– she froze, whirling on the spot and pointed to Mateo.

"You," she said simply.

Surprise and confusion flickered in the young wizard's eye. "Me?" he asked. "What about me?"

"You will take the lead on this expedition."

"Wait, What?!" he spluttered. "Why would you want––"

"Because, you are my right hand. I can't do this alone and I need your help. Plus," she lowered her voice, stepping over to him as she lovingly adjusted the collar of his suit coat, taking her seat beside him, "I know you have the biggest stake in all of this, as long as the whereabouts of your–– er–– of Nicolàs are unknown–– and this is great opportunity for valuable experience for when you are my consort and helping me by taking lead on special projects all the time. Don't worry _querido._ Trust me, you are perfect for this job."

He looked long into her earnest amber eyes and could see that she truly believed he could do it–– he could lead an expedition to uncharted islands against potentially magical foes and rescue their lost people. She needed him to do this for her–– for himself.

He nodded.

"I won't let you down, Elena," he said earnestly, "But, I–– I'm not sure I can do it alone either."

"Of course you can't. None of us can. I'll be there to help you."

At this, Francisco spoke up, "Let's not be hasty, Elena. While I agree that we need to rescue our people as soon as possible, this is a job for the royal guard and the navy. It is far too dangerous for you to go, Elena."

Elena's eyes flashed angrily, but she took a deep breath before responding in a low but fierce voice, "I have to go on this expedition, Abuelo. Our people need to know that I am willing to do anything to get each and every one of them back."

"But Elena," Luisa interjected, worry filling her eyes, "I know how you feel, truly I do, but if Shuriki really is out there, you can't risk a confrontation with her. It's too dangerous!"

Elena sighed, "That's all the more reason for me to go, Abuela. If Shuriki is out there, our people will need magical protection against her. Seeing as Mateo and I are the only magic wielders in the kingdom, we need to be there to fight magic with magic. And," she glanced at her royal wizard, reaching for his hand and interlacing her fingers with his, "we're a team–– we're much stronger together than apart."

"But what about your duties to the kingdom–– here?" Francisco asked. "You can't just up and leave the palace for months at a time."

"Usually I would agree with you, but this is an emergency. I need to go. I know that between you, Esteban and Armando, the kingdom will be fine in my absence."

"Oh, I will not be here either," Esteban spoke up from his end of the table.

All attention was on the chancellor as Elena said, eyebrows raised in surprise, "Where are you going, cousin?"

"With you, of course. I quite agree that this is the number one priority right now and you need to be there. I also agree that Mateo is the right one to lead the expedition, it will be good training for his future duties. And," Esteban said, his eyes flickering with emotion, "if Shuriki is, indeed, out there, you will need me. I know and understand her better than just about anyone. Also," his voice lowered as it quavered slightly with emotion, "I can't help but feel somewhat responsible for the fate of these people who went missing on my watch."

Elena's heart clenched at the guilt and sadness in her cousin's tortured expression. "Esteban—" she began.

Esteban waved a dismissive hand, clearing his throat and sitting up straight, "There is no need to discuss the past, we have more important matters to concern ourselves with." He turned to the refugee couple and said kindly, "Now, we have many details to plan for this expedition, but for now, we must show our guests proper hospitality. I am sure they wish to refresh themselves and get a bit of rest after their long journey. Armando!" he called over to the chief of the castle who had been standing by the door, listening to the story with rapt attention.

Armando startled, but composed himself, "Yes, chancellor?"

"Please show our guests to a room and see to it that all of their needs are met. Food, drink, clothing–– everything. Do you understand?"

"Of course, chancellor!" Armando agreed and gestured to Lady Jimena and Lord Antonio, "Please, come with me, your graces. I will show you to your room."

"Before we go," Jimena said, glancing back at the crown princess, "I have a question if I may."

"Of course," Elena said with a smile.

"Er––" the lady looked around at the council members, her lips twitching slightly as she said, "I know it's been 10 years since I've been part of the Avaloran court, but has it become the fashion for wizards to dress like the nobility while the nobility paints their faces and dress in olaball jerseys?" She looked pointedly at the chancellor, whose neck flushed red though his face was completely covered in red and yellow paint, her eyes twinkling in amusement.

Elena and Naomi looked at Mateo who blushed and then at each other as they burst into giggles. "Only on the day after our favorite team wins a championship," Naomi assured her, still laughing.

"And Mateo, here," Elena explained, her eyes shining with pride as she slipped her arm around his shoulders, amidst her own peals of laughter, "is my fiancé and an honorary member of my council. He–– er–– didn't get the memo about our impromptu olaball team spirit day."

The Lord and Lady Salazar looked at Mateo–– who was blushing again–– in surprise and exchanged a look.

"Mateo?" Antonio said curiously, peering at the young wizard by the crown princess's side. "You look familiar. Are you—"

"This is Alacazar's— the old royal wizard's— grandson," Esteban explained.

"Oh!" Jimena said, "I knew you looked familiar. That must be why." Her eyes narrowed as she peered a little more closely at Mateo, as if she thought there was something else that she couldn't quite articulate, but said nothing more.

Mateo nodded quietly, though he couldn't quite force a smile to his lips–– it was on the tip of his tongue to ask these people who had suffered the same fate as Nicolás if they knew of him, but he couldn't quite form the words.

Elena gave Mateo a sympathetic look as she tightened her arm around this shoulders before turning her attention back to their guests. "We will begin planning for the expedition immediately, and should have details to share by dinner time tonight. I would be honored if you both would join my family in our private dining room. Until then, please let my staff know of anything you may need and it will be taken care of."

Jimena and Antonio nodded and bowed respectfully. "Of course your majesty. Thank you," Jimena said as she and her husband turned and followed Armando out of the council room, leaving a loaded silence in their wake–– the moment of levity having passed as each council member considered the implications of what they had learned along with what needed to happen next.

Mateo's mind had begun whirring–– as it so often did when presented with a magical problem that needed solving–– with the details that he'd be responsible for as the leader of this expedition. Though he was still reeling from the shock–– shock that Elena would pick him of all people to take lead on such a voyage–– rudimentary plans had already begun forming. Nervous energy was building in the pit of his stomach. He needed to get up and wished he were alone so he could pace in peace–– he smiled slightly as he realized what an "Elena trait" that was.

Glancing sidelong at her fiancé, Elena spoke up, "I believe that Mateo and I have some details to begin planning. We can talk more of this at dinner tonight. If there's nothing else to discuss on the official agenda, then I declare this council meeting adjourned!" She rapped the gavel on the table and stood.

Before anyone could object or comment further, Elena reached for Mateo's hand and tugged him towards the door. Mateo stopped her, looking over his shoulder at Naomi, and said, "Would you mind finding Gabe and meeting us in Elena's sitting room?"

Naomi nodded, "No problem. We'll be there as soon as I can find him." She grinned and hurried out the door.

Elena looked at Mateo with surprise, raising a questioning eyebrow. _What is that about, querido?_

 _I have a few ideas._ He squeezed her hand and began walking, pulling her along as he tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow, still looking at her as they went.

 _Already? I'm impressed._

Mateo flushed and smiled, leading her through the palace and back to her suite. Once inside, Elena pulled him over to her sitting area and stepped in front of him, chuckling as she said, "I still can't believe you wore your formal suit today, you look really uncomfortable." She smiled as she unbuttoned his jacket.

Grinning sheepishly, Mateo looked away. "Yeah, well, you know–– I guess I didn't know what to wear and I just wanted to be sure that I made the right choice. I thought the suit looked sort of like what your cousin and grandfather would wear."

Elena laughed, slipping the jacket from his shoulders, and tossing it over the back of a nearby chair. "You do realize they are both like 40 to 50 years older than you, right? Not exactly an accurate point of reference for an 18 year old's fashion choices— even among the nobility."

"Ugh, you're right. Where were you when I was overthinking this earlier?"

"Sitting in my room, trying not to think about how much I wished I was with you, getting carried away again." Elena winked as she flashed a flirty smile and began unbuttoning the cuffs of his long sleeved white shirt.

Peering down at her handiwork, Mateo said, "Uh, what are you doing?"

"As much as I enjoy seeing you all dressed up for fancy events, I love seeing you look like your everyday self even more," she said matter-of-factly as she rolled up a shirt sleeve to his elbow and turned to the roll up the other. "Besides, I know how twitchy having your shirt sleeves buttoned around your wrists makes you. There's really no reason for that, now is there?"

He smiled softly as he watched her work. She had always had this gentle way of caring for him–– of making sure that he had what he needed from the very beginning. Her selfless heart was one of the things he loved most about her, that and the fact that she always seemed to know exactly what he needed before he even did. He was thankful that it hadn't taken him long to understand her just as well as she understood him.

And now? Well, the two of them just knew each other so well that they simply existed together as two parts of a whole, fitting together seamlessly like two perfectly carved puzzle pieces.

"I suppose not," he whispered, reaching his free hand out to brush his fingers softly along her cheek.

She looked up, meeting his gaze and smiled. Placing her hands on his shoulders she pushed gently until he sat on the small sofa. Once settled, she gracefully folded herself into a seated position on his lap. Mateo's hands slid down around her waist, supporting her as she sat. Leaning into him she loosened his tie and unbuttoned the two buttons on the collar of his shirt.

"There," she said with a satisfied smile. "Now, you look much more like yourself. Isn't that better?"

Mateo couldn't help the grin as he agreed, "Yes, much. Thank you, _mi amor_." He leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss of thanks to her lips.

Sliding her arms comfortably around his neck. Elena leaned back, leveling a steady gaze at him and said, "So, how are you feeling? I'll admit, the council meeting was stressful for me, I can only imagine how hard it was for you."

Mateo sighed, pulling her slightly closer for comfort as he said, "Yeah, that was a bit of an emotional ride. One moment I realize that Nicolás is probably alive when I thought him dead for so many years, I'm expecting him to walk through the door, then he doesn't, and we find out Shuriki's still alive, though," Mateo paused, giving Elena an assessing look, "speaking of Shuriki, are you ok?"

Sighing, Elena's eyes flicked downwards as her shoulders slumped and she said, "I'll be honest, the last 42 years flashed before my eyes when I heard her name," Mateo held her closer–– for her comfort this time–– as she shuddered, "For a moment, I felt as if I was back in that amulet and that witch was back in power. It was terrifying, but––" she looked up into Mateo's eyes, fierce determination sparking as she continued, " ––you're right. We are ready for her and I have several things going for me this time that my parents didn't."

Nodding, Mateo said, "True, it helps that you you know she's out there and will likely target you eventually and you have your magic to protect you."

"That's not all."

"Oh?" Mateo cocked his head to one side, saying, "And what else do you have that your parents didn't?"

Elena's eyes softened as she placed a hand on his cheek and said simply, "You."

Mateo snorted, shaking his head incredulously, "But your parents had Alacazar! He was a master wizard. How can I even compare to that?"

"Because you love me."

Mateo just stared, mouth slightly open as he processed this extraordinary statement. Love? He wondered if love truly could conquer all? He had to admit that his love for her drove him to be better in a way that his simple love of magic alone hadn't quite been able to achieve. He was driven to never let her down, to do everything he could to keep her–– and the kingdom–– safe. He was completely and utterly devoted to her well being and he knew that his magic could do that. So, he supposed she had a point. Though he couldn't help but feel slightly awed by the fact that she placed so much faith and trust in him that she felt safe in the face of her mortal enemy.

He smiled slightly, leaning in to press a soft kiss to her lips before saying, "That I do." He leaned back, and watched her a moment before his gaze shifted and he cocked an eyebrow, saying, "And on top of that I realized that there's the possibility that Nicolás is out there–– alive–– waiting for us to find him. And then––" he gave her an incredulous look. "As I'm processing all of that, you declare me the leader of this expedition that has literally hundreds of lives depending on its success. So, yeah, I suppose you could describe it as stressful." He flashed her favorite crooked grin as he shook his head in mock disbelief–– his way of letting her know that he wasn't really upset.

It was Elena's turn to look sheepish. "Er–– I'm sorry about that, actually. I should have spoken to you privately rather than put you on on the spot like that."

Mateo rolled his eyes as he snorted. "You never have to apologize for asking for my help–– or telling me you require my help in this case. As I've told you so many times before, I'll be here for you, no matter what. As much as I'm unsure that I'm the best person for the job, I am glad that you are finally stepping out and at least letting me help you to shoulder some of your responsibility," he gave her a little squeeze and pressed a kiss to her temple, whispering against her skin, "I know that must be hard for you." He pressed a kiss to her hair.

Elena sighed. "Yes, it is hard. But, my father always said that part of being a good leader was learning when to ask for help. And he and my mother were a team. He was the king, but she carried as much of the weight of responsibility as he did–– he allowed her to walk beside him and face the same burdens and dangers. I want that for us, _querido._ We've always been a team, but if I keep everything to myself, we will never reach our full potential."

She turned her face towards his, cupping it in her hands and looked earnestly into the depths of the hazel green eyes that she loved so much as she continued, "And I truly believe you are the best person for this job. You have so much potential. You're smart, resourceful and you care fiercely for my safety and well being as well as the safety and well being of our people. Plus, as I said before, you have high stakes in the success of this journey and I believe between the drive to find the truth about your father, your drive to prove that you belong at my side, and the simple fact that you are amazing and capable of great things, you won't fail."

Leaning into her touch, Mateo closed his eyes, allowing the truth of her words to wash over him. "Thank you, _mi amor_ , I won't let you down," he whispered.

Brushing her thumbs in little circles on his cheeks, she smiled softly, "I know," she whispered as she leaned in, gently guiding his mouth to meet hers in a kiss so soft and sweet that Mateo felt his heart aching at the tenderness of it. Sliding his hands up her back, he tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer as his lips brushed against hers.

Moments like these were like slices of heaven as far as Mateo was concerned. He had spent so many years in the dark–– alone with the thoughts and memories that haunted him–– as he worked hard to realize his dream of becoming a wizard with no one to celebrate victories with or to encourage him through his failures, that he had withdrawn into himself. He'd forgotten what it was like to have someone believe in him so completely, and having Elena come alongside him with her constant stream of encouragement was nice. But, moments like this? There was just something about having such a physical connection with the perfect woman he loved that made his fears and doubts seem trivial as her words of encouragement became real. He could feel it deep in his core each time they touched as warmth flooded his senses, bringing a renewed sense of life and purpose to his being.

Smiling against her lips, Mateo chuckled inwardly as Elena deepened the kiss, sliding her hands up to the back of his head where her fingers nestled comfortably in his hair. It seemed she was finally getting what she had been hinting at wanting all morning. Gladly obliging, Mateo pressed her to him, falling into sync with the rhythm of her lips, kiss for kiss.

And once again, Elena and Mateo retreated into their own private world where, for a few blissful moments, nothing existed outside the precious person each held in their arms. Utterly lost in one another, they continued on until––

"I would tell you to get a room, but seeing as you're in your own room, I suppose you already did." Naomi's amused voice teased from the doorway.

Elena and Mateo paused and looked up to grin at Gabe and Naomi standing in the doorway of the sitting room. The couple had become so comfortable in their relationship, and it was such a well known fact that they were betrothed to be married that no one in the palace glanced twice at their displays of affection. In fact, Naomi was the only one to even tease them anymore. Even Gabe just smiled and shook his head whenever he stumbled across them, and Mateo had long since stopped blushing each time they were inevitably caught— he now simply shared a secret pleased smile with Elena and they moved on as if it were only natural.

Elena slid from her seated position on Mateo's lap to the vacant spot just next to him on the sofa, and grinned up at her friends as she gestured to the open sofa across from them. "Have a seat, you two."

Sitting on the sofa, Gabe casually slung his arm around Naomi's shoulders and made himself comfortable as she leaned into him. Naomi looked over to Elena and said, "I filled Gabe in on everything that happened at the council meeting, I figured it would save us time."

"Good thinking!" Elena said and glanced at Mateo before continuing, "So, I'm going to let Mateo say whatever it is that he wanted to talk to us about."

"He didn't already tell you?" Gabe asked curiously.

Elena blushed slightly. "Er–– no, we were–– distracted."

Rolling her eyes goodnaturedly, Naomi said, "Why does _that_ not surprise me. Well, it saves Mateo from having to say it twice. So let's hear it."

Though he was surrounded by friends, he still wasn't used to being in charge of these sorts of meetings— Mateo cleared his throat a little uncomfortably and brought a finger to loosen his already loose collar as he tried to grasp at a single thought of the many that were racing through his mind. He could feel the nervous energy building again, and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself.

Elena watched him sympathetically but remained quiet, patiently waiting for him to find his words. She reached for his hand and held it in her own, reminding him that she was with him all the way.

The small gesture had an amazing calming effect on his nerves. He smiled gratefully at her before turning his attention to their friends and said, "As you all know, we've just learned that there are Avalorans who have been imprisoned by Shuriki for years on remote, uncharted islands who need to be rescued. Elena has apparently lost her mind," he grinned cheekily at his fiancé as he spoke, "and placed me in charge of the expedition. So, aside from needing the obvious transportation and supplies, I was thinking that we'd need special skills for certain jobs that I know you two will be best suited for."

Gabe and Naomi exchanged a puzzled glance before Naomi said, "So, of course we want to help, but what is it that you think we have to offer?"

"Well, first, I think we're going to need two ships. A smaller one with a scouting party to check each island for danger and to find out how many people will need rescuing. And a larger passenger vessel that will come behind and pick up the people on each island and see to their needs."

"Who were you thinking for the scouting party, _querido_?" Elena asked curiously.

"Well, after everything we accomplished as a team when we were dealing with Malvara, I would be crazy to not insist that the four of us work as a team again," Mateo said confidently, but second guessed himself and looked sheepishly around at each of them, rubbing the back of his neck as he said, " That is, if you three want to?"

Elena slid an arm around his shoulders, laughing as she said, "You are so silly! I've already said I'm with you every step of the way. Of course I want to be part of the scouting party." She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and smiled.

Mateo grinned back before looking over at their friends. "So, I was hoping that you two would be part of the scouting party too. But I also have special jobs in mind," he grinned at Gabe as he continued, "Assuming that our new guard captain can get away from his office for a few months, I was hoping you'd be able to assemble a small detail of guards to accompany the scouting party and another to accompany the passenger ship. You would obviously oversee their activities and work them into the reconnaissance missions on each island."

Gabe smiled proudly, sitting up a bit taller as Mateo spoke. It was true, upon their return from Malvara, he had been appointed to the position of captain of the royal guard. It had been a reward of sorts for his bravery and skill in the battle.

"Of course," Gabe said. "I wouldn't miss this for the world. Lt. Villaroble is my second in command. We will work together to make sure the kingdom and the voyage is well protected, and I know I can trust him to oversee the palace protection in my absence."

Mateo glanced sidelong at Elena who nodded encouragingly before he continued, "Perfect. And Naomi, how are your cartography skills?"

Smirking confidently, Naomi shrugged, saying, "What kind of sea captains' daughter would I be if they weren't excellent?"

"I was hoping you'd say that. Since we are going to be sailing in uncharted waters, I would like to put you in charge of mapping our journey. Is that something you'd be willing to take charge of?"

Eyes lighting up, Naomi clapped her hands together and said, "That sounds like a challenge I'd be crazy to refuse," her eyebrows furrowed and she continued, "but speaking of sea captains, you'll need the very best for a journey into uncharted waters. Who did you have in mind to captain the ships?"

Mateo shrugged, saying, "That was going to be my next question to you. You're absolutely right— we need the best. I trust you to find the best captains and crew for the job."

Naomi waved a nonchalant hand, "Oh I can already tell you exactly who should get the job— Captain Ortega and my mom."

Mateo's eyes widened with surprise and he ran a hand through his hair as he said, "Wow, of course! Why didn't I think if them? What do you think, Elena?"

She smiled and said, "I can't think of two more qualified people for the job."

Mateo grinned and said, "Perfect!" and continued laying out details for plans that had occurred to him in the short time since he'd been placed in charge, Gabe and Naomi offering insight and asking the hard questions needed to turn his rough ideas into a solid plan of action.

Elena sat quietly beside Mateo, her eyes glinting with pride as she watched him take leadership over the expedition. He didn't realize it, but he was a natural— she could see it as plain as day. She knew that the best leaders were those who didn't seek power or glory— who quietly rose to the challenges set before them, and Mateo? Well, he'd been doing that since the moment they'd met. She believed with all of her heart that he wouldn't let her down and that they'd be successful in rescuing their people. With him by her side, they couldn't lose.


	6. Chapter 6

Planning for the expedition continued on for several hours, until the bright afternoon light shining through the large arching windows in Elena's sitting room began to fade into the soft gold of early evening. Mateo continued feverishly jotting down notes on things he would need to check or find more information about before they embarked on their journey.

Emotions rushed through him as they planned–– ranging from excitement and exhilaration and anticipation of new discoveries to fear to near crippling anxiety that he would miss some important detail and the entire voyage would be a failure–– because of him.

Mateo would have been perfectly content to work through the night, skipping dinner, but Elena, understanding this tendency of his, put a halt to the planning, insisting that everyone get a good meal and plenty of rest.

Once Naomi and Gabe had left, Elena stood, tapping her foot on the plush rug as she watched Mateo poring over his notes. As he didn't seem inclined to join her, she raised an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips before clearing her throat pointedly.

Startled, Mateo looked up, grinning sheepishly when he noticed Elena watching him, a hint of impatience glinting in her eyes.

"Come on!" she said, reaching for his hand, "I know how you get when you are knee deep in a project–– skipping meals and not sleeping, but you need to pace yourself, _mi querido_."

Sighing, Mateo took her hand and stood, rubbing the back of his neck as his eyes dropped to the floor. "I know, I'm sorry. It's just that this is so important and I have to get it right. There are just so many details to take care of! And––"

"And they'll be here waiting for you tomorrow," Elena finished patiently. "We have two weeks to plan everything and you've gotten a great start. Naomi will make arrangements with the sea captains and Gabe will make arrangements with the guards. If you don't pace yourself, you are going to burn out. Trust me on this one."

His gaze softened as he gave her a small smile and nodded. "You're right, of course," he paused as a quiet rumble sounded from his stomach. Grinning sheepishly, he said, "Now that you mention it, I'm starving."

Squeezing his hand, Elena laughed lightly as she led him out of her suite and into the hallway. "See? I know how to take care of you, _querido._ Which is good because it's dinner time and I'm pretty sure our refugee guests are waiting for us in the dining room."

A quick thrill of panic shot through Mateo at her words. His gaze snapped to hers and she could see a hint of fear flickering in his eyes.

" _Querido_? What is it?"

Mateo's gaze drifted to the end of the hall where he stared blankly into the distance as they walked. "I– I kind of want– I hope– I–" he started several times but couldn't quite form the words.

"You want to ask Jimena and Antonio if they know Nicolás, but are afraid of what the answer might be."

Exhaling a shaky breath, Mateo glanced sidelong at her, a small crooked grin twitching the corners of his lips, "Sounds kind of silly doesn't it?"

"Not at all, but maybe you'll feel better if you tell me what's going on in that mind of yours."

Mateo sighed, wringing his hands together as he said, "Oh, you know, I'm just so conflicted about Nicolás in general. He was taken ten years ago, I had come to terms with everything and put it out of my mind and today, in the blink of an eye, the pain of that awful night and the months following has reared its ugly head and it hurts all over again. Hearing him say I'm not his son, that I'm nothing, letting them take him, watching my mom suffer–– it's a lot. I– I'm still angry with him. It was easier when I thought he was just gone forever. Now there's hope. And uncertainty. And that anger. And guilt for feeling all of this. And– I–" he trailed off, his eyes downcast as his shoulders slumped.

Elena slid her arm around him as they walked, and gave him a squeeze, taking his hand with hers and kissing his knuckles, saying, "I think I understand. He was your father as far as you knew and you loved him. Your mother loved him. So of course you want him back safely. But you're afraid of getting hurt again. You're afraid of hoping too much. And maybe of betraying yourself if you allowed him back into your heart," she paused, stopping Mateo and turning him to face her as she took his hands in both of hers, "Am I right?" She looked earnestly into those hazel green eyes she loved so much, eyes that hurt her heart to see shadowed with much pain and conflict.

Mateo leaned in, pressing his forehead lightly to hers as he murmured, "You know me too well, _mi_ _amor_."

Pulling back slightly to look him in the eye, she said lightly, "Well, what kind of 'other half' would I be if I didn't?" and took his hand, leaning in for a kiss.

"Really guys? More kissing in the halls? Don't you remember what Esteban said just last week?"

Elena and Mateo broke apart, heads snapping towards the approaching voice, both smiling as they saw Princess Isabel walking towards them, laughter dancing in her eyes.

Rolling her eyes good naturedly, Elena laughed, "Yes, I believe he lectured us for an hour straight in propriety befitting a royal, exercising discretion and at least making an effort to leave some of our relationship a mystery to the court gossips."

"Yeah, that about sums it up. And I hate to break it to you, but you're doing an awful job of doing any of that."

Mateo felt his cheeks flush as Isa grinned at her sister.

Eyes flicking to Mateo, Isa's gaze softened and she reached out to pat his arm, "Its ok, you know. Everyone, even Esteban, is really happy for you guys. We only pick on you because we love you so much."

The color in Mateo's cheeks deepened and his hand shot to the back of his neck. Smiling crookedly, he said, "Well, thanks Isa. I'm honored–– I think."

Laughing, Elena and Isa exchanged a look before simultaneously throwing their arms around Mateo, squeezing him in a group hug. He couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up from his throat as the burden weighing on his heart lightened for a moment. He realized that even though he had ghosts in his past to deal with, he would soon have a new family full of people who loved him and believed in him. And that was a happy thought, indeed.

Though Elena kept her arms around him, she smiled up at him as Isa released him, gesturing to the door. "We should get in there before Esteban gets grumpy and blames us for his food going cold."

Agreeing with the young princess, they followed her into the dining room where their grandparents and cousin were already seated along with Lady Jimena and Lord Antonio. The quiet chatter ceased as all eyes turned to greet the newcomers.

Antonio smiled pleasantly, nodding to them in greeting, though his attention immediately darted back to his wife when she gasped.

Isa had paused, looking curiously at Lady Jimena who quickly stood, covering her mouth with a hand and stared at the young princess, eyes wide and sparkling with tears.

"Isa?" she whispered, "Isa, is that you?"

"I'm sorry," Isa began her brow furrowing as she cocked her head to one side, as if trying to solve a complex puzzle, "You look awfully familiar, but–– I can't–– who are you?"

Elena and Mateo exchanged a perplexed look, shrugging as they glanced between Isa and Lady Jimena. Elena thought hard, trying to figure out how this woman would know her sister when she gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in shock, "Wait! You–– you can't be–– I remember you now! You are Lord Martín's daughter! Whenever your father was at court, you and Isa were inseparable!"

Isa stared at the woman in surprise, her mouth open in a perfect little "o".

"Jimena?" she whispered, her own eyes filling with tears, "Is it really you?"

Jimena nodded, a tear trickling down her cheek.

Isa laughed as she dashed around the table and threw her arms around the older woman. "I can't believe it's really you! I asked about you after I came out of the painting but no one knew of you and I'd hoped you and your family got away safely, but––"

Jimena fell to her knees, returning the hug as she cried, "No! My family stayed in Avalor with the resistance until about ten years ago when my husband and I here were captured and sent to–– but you! I thought you had died with your sister for the longest time, but heard a rumor about ten years ago that you were in hiding–– I had hoped–– it never occurred to me that you weren't aging," she choked on a sob, swiping one hand at the tears on her cheeks, "I–I'm sorry, this is just such a shock. Seeing you walk through that door looking exactly as you did 42 years ago, it– it was like seeing a ghost!"

Seeing Mateo's confused expression, Elena leaned in, whispering in his ear, "Jimena and Isa were best friends before– well, you know. She was around the palace all the time and the two of them were always together working on their projects."

"Projects?" Mateo questioned.

"Oh, Isa wasn't always the lone inventor around here. I remember Jimena being quite handy with a twisthook at the age of 11. They worked together on most of their projects and talked shop all the time. She even knew what all of the tools were called. Like that six sided pinky ring thingy––"

"You mean a bolt?"

"Yeah, that's it," Elena giggled, "You know I'm hopeless with that stuff."

"Huh," Mateo said thoughtfully, as he watched the younger princess and the older woman hugging as they were overcome with emotion at the unexpected reunion. It was such an odd thought to consider that if they lived in a perfect world where Shuriki never took over Avalor, Isa would be around the same age as this woman who was in her mid fifties–– around the age of his mother.

And Elena would be even older.

He couldn't help but wonder where he would fit in if he lived in that perfect world. He certainly wouldn't be engaged to a crown princess. Would he even know Elena? Would she know him? Would she be the same Elena she was now, only older? Though he wanted to wish for a perfect world for her sake, his stomach clenched painfully as he imagined a life without her love making everything–– making him–– better.

Concern flickered in her eyes as Elena watched his Mateo's expression darken. While everyone's attention was focused on Isa and Jimena's tearful reunion, she took his hand she tugged him over to their place at the table, where he automatically pulled out her chair for her and helped her take her seat before taking his own seat.

"Always the gentleman," Elena murmured, smiling up at him, "See, you already have more going for you than most of the noble boys I've ever met."

Mateo remained quiet, but gave her shoulder little squeeze as he took his seat and returned the smile, though Elena couldn't help but notice that it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Choosing to let it go for the moment, she interlaced her fingers with his and turned her attention back to Isa, who had pulled away from Lady Jimena and was grinning as she wiped tears from her cheeks.

"Did you ever finish that automatic bird feeder for the birdhouse we were building in the palace garden?" Isa asked, "If I remember correctly you were having trouble with getting the timing of the hex––"

" ––the hexagonal rotators and the gears between the feed scoop and the dual swinging doors to work right," Jimena finished, laughter mingling with sorrow in her eyes. "Yes," she continued quietly, "I finished it the very afternoon you–– it––" she paused a moment, choking out a sob as tears shone in her eyes. Her husband stood, and moved closer to her, kneeling beside her to slide a comforting arm around her shoulders. Drawing strength from his touch, Jimena took a tremulous breath before continuing quietly, "The very afternoon Shuriki attacked."

Unsure of how to respond, Isa glanced away, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "Aww...Jimena, I–I'm so sorry I wasn't ab–"

A spark flashed in the woman's eye as she said fiercely, "Isabel, don't you ever apologize for anything that witch did! It's not your fault that she swooped in and destroyed everything good and pure in Avalor." Placing her hands on Isa's shoulders, she continued, "No, I'm sorry. Today has been very–– very emotional for me and I wasn't prepared. I wasn't prepared to learn that not only has Shuriki been dethroned and after so many years of misery, my dream of seeing Avalor restored to its former glory has been fulfilled, but my best friend is alive when I thought her dead for over 4 decades. Though," Jimena paused, raising an eyebrow at the young princess, "I'll admit that it's very strange seeing you as a child when I know it's been half a lifetime since I last saw you. In my mind, you should be a middle aged woman like me."

Isa's eyes widened as her brow creased with worry and she wrung her hands before her. "I– I hope we can still be friends even though I'm still just a kid. I want to know everything about you–– what it was like–– when I was gone. And the work you did–– you know, to try and stop her," her voice trailed off uncertainly.

Jimena smiled, nodding. "Of course, even though I thought y–– well, in my mind, you never stopped being my best friend. Besides, if I remember correctly, you were always very mature for your age."

Isa opened her mouth to respond, but the dining room door swung open and the kitchen staff trailed in with that night's meal. The royal chef had outdone himself with the special feast he'd whipped up for their guests with only a few hours notice. The rich, savory aroma wafted through the room from the beautiful seasoned to perfection paella at the centerpiece, surrounded by heaping dishes of pork empanadas, saffron rice and frijoles, fresh steaming corn tortillas, and a large tureen of Luisa's spicy pozole.

Jimena and Antonio exchanged a long, wide eyed look before swallowing hard as they turned their attention back to the food, staring wordlessly.

"Is everything ok?" Luisa asked tentatively, looking concerned for their guests.

"Y–yes! Of course! It's all wonderful," Antonio spoke up quickly, his eyes flicking apologetically to meet Luisa's. "I'm sorry, it's just that it's been 10 years since we've eaten a hot meal."

Esteban looked like he'd just been punched in the stomach at this declaration while Luisa looked like she was going to cry and Elena, Mateo, and Francisco just stared in shock.

"Oh! That is simply awful!" Luisa cried out, "Please, please! Sit! Eat! You must eat!"

"I haven't had paella in over ten years––" Jimena murmured, a nostalgic gleam in her eye. "This smells just the way I remember my abuela's paella smelling."

Antonio took her hand and tugged her back to her seat, pulling the chair out for her. "Come, _mi amor_ , sit.

As the couple sat, Isa followed and took the empty seat beside Jimena. Aside from the quiet clanking of silverware against the plates, the room was quiet as everyone served themselves.

Elena looked at her plate as she moved her food around, not feeling so hungry anymore as she thought of her people still living in such sparse conditions while she lived in such luxury. Glancing at Mateo, she could see that he felt the same.

Looking across the room at their guests, Elena cleared her throat and said, "You will be pleased to know that Mateo and myself have spent the afternoon planning for the journey to bring our people home."

Jimena perked up at that, saying, "That is wonderful news! When do we leave?"

Elena looked at Mateo expectantly. Still feeling strange from being the center of attention on something so important, he cleared his throat and said, "Er–– we have a tentative date set for two weeks from today."

Looking slightly crestfallen, Antonio said, "Two weeks? That seems like such a long time to sit here knowing that we've left our friends and family behind."

Heart sinking at the opposition already against his plan, Mateo looked down at the table, stammering, "I–I'm sorry, my lord, but th–the captains–– the ships––"

Elena placed her hand on his knee and Mateo glanced at her, seeing the words written plainly in her eyes, _It's ok, mi amor. You're plan is solid. Just express your sympathy_ , _explain how and why these things take time to do right._

The mild panic receding, Mateo released a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding, turning back to Antonio, he said, "I know it seems like a long time, but these things take time to organize. We have to make arrangements with the ship captains, prepare the ships for a long voyage into uncharted waters which means gathering supplies. Plus we need to reinforce the defenses around the palace and the city before we leave."

Clasping her hands before her, Jimena turned pleading eyes to Mateo, "Please, is there any way we could depart sooner? I don't think you understand––"

"Actually, I think I understand better than you think," Mateo interrupted a little more sharply than he meant to, stopping abruptly as he realized how rude he must sound and what he was saying in front of all these people–– most of whom were staring at him like he'd grown a second head. Taking a steadying breath, he placed his hand on Elena's which was still resting on his knee, and continued in a softer voice, "I– I think my father is a prisoner on one of those islands."

Silence.

"A–and–– er–– well, after 10 years, I'm anxious to find out if he's alive or not. But, this is a big expedition. We have to make sure we get it right, for their sake. It won't do them any good if the passenger ship doesn't have enough space or enough food to provide for them once we rescue them. And it won't help them if we don't have the crew we need or the highly experienced captains required for a journey into uncharted waters."

Resigned, Jimena sighed. "Yes, of course, you are right, but wait––" she looked at Mateo more closely, "Did you say your father was captured 10 years ago? Was he a rebel?"

"What?! No! Of course not! He was a professor of Maruvian studies at the University."

"Hmm…" Antonio said thoughtfully, "It's just interesting that your father happened to be captured around the same time we were. What is his name?"

Swallowing hard, Mateo forced the name out, "Nicolás de Alva."

"That name doesn't sound familiar, but he could be on one of the other islands."

"Though––" Jimena added, "We didn't know everyone in the rebellion, but there were rumors that one of the rebels was a wizard in the higher levels of leadership. I never met him myself, but I saw him from a distance once–– He certainly looked like a wizard what with his dark hooded cloak and his face covered in shadows. Was your father a wizard like you?"

Shaking his head vigorously, Mateo said, "No! No! My mother's father, Alacazar, was the wizard in my family. Like I said, my father was a scholar. We don't know why he was captured. We assumed he'd done something to anger Shuriki–– like whistled in public or something. Others had been taken for lesser offenses."

"That is certainly true," Jimena said thoughtfully, "Well, I hope we find him on one of the other islands."

"Thank you, me too."

The room was quiet as everyone worked on eating their dinner. After a few moments of silence, Isa turned to Jimena and quietly asked her about her childhood under Shuriki's rule. As Mateo listened to the older woman's reminiscing, his thoughts returned to his musing about a perfect world–– a world without Elena in his life.

Noticing the dark shadows in his gaze, Elena murmured quietly, bumping her shoulder gently against his, "Are you ok, _mi querido?_ "

Staring at his plate, a million thoughts raced through Mateo's mind as he replied, "I'm ok."

"A penny for your thoughts?"

Smiling sadly, he poked his food around his plate, "I was just thinking about what a perfect world would look like––"

Of the many possible things she'd expected him to say, this was not it. Raising a confused eyebrow, Elena picked up her goblet and sipped at the icy horchata.

"A perfect world? Really? Those are the thoughts responsible for this sadness?"

Mateo shrugged, saying, "Well, not the perfect world in general, just what a perfect world would mean for us."

"I'm not sure I follow. _You_ are my perfect world, _querido,_ and that makes me anything but sad."

"And you're mine, but––" Mateo stared unseeingly into the distance a moment before turning back to Elena and taking her hand. "It's just, after seeing Isa find her friend from so many years ago, it sort of reminded me that–– that you are supposed to be, what? 59 years old?"

Elena's eyes widened as understanding hit her, unfathomable sadness shining in her eyes. "Aah, I think I understand," she looked down at her lap and said, "If it makes you feel any better, I've had this conversation with myself awhile ago and I chose you."

"You–– what? Are you serious?"

Her gaze snapped to his and Mateo was surprised at the heat burning in her eyes.

"Yes, and I felt incredibly guilty and like the most selfish person in the world for awhile. Even that didn't change my mind. Until I realized that this isn't my fault. No amount of wishing for time to reverse can make it happen. Only one person is to blame and it's Shuriki. I can't go through the rest of my life feeling guilty that I've found a joy to rival what I had with my family so many years ago."

Mateo was speechless at this extraordinary statement and how, once again, the two of them were on the exact same wavelength.

It was incredible, really.

He struggled to find the words, saying, "I–I thought I was so selfish because I've been trying to justify the fact that I couldn't bring myself to earnestly wish for that perfect life for you–– or for me. I mean my–– Nicolás would still be my–– and my mom would be happy. But who would I be? Would I be a wizard in training? If my grandfather had retired, would he have been my mentor? Would my life be different with a father and a grandfather? Would I be different–– if I'd never met you? Would you be different? I can't even imagine a life without you and in that perfect life, you'd be older than my mother. I don't know that we'd even have met. We certainly wouldn't be engaged to be married and–– I don't know where I would fit into the world without you in my life, I––" he ran his hands through his hair in agitation as he tried to keep his voice quiet.

"Mateo, stop," she whispered, pressing her forehead gently to his temple, "You can't do this to yourself. You can't worry about the what-ifs because you know as well as I do that there is no magic to turn back time. Like I said, you can't live with that guilt. You didn't put us in this situation, Shuriki did. And if loving me makes you selfish, then we are selfish together because I love you and I can't imagine choosing a different life."

She was right. He couldn't live in an imaginary past. He was here, now. And he had Elena in his life. It didn't matter what he might have been, it mattered what he was now–– though he was still trying to work out exactly what that was. He felt a bit better–– thankful for his beautiful and kind princess who stood by him and encouraged him even when he was being ridiculous.

The rest of the meal passed in relative calm. Esteban told their guests of how Avalor's economy had improved over the last ten years and of the few noble families that had managed to escape Shuriki who had returned. Francisco pulled out his guitar and entertained them with some Avaloran folk music, which brought tears once again to Jimena's eyes as music was another thing they hadn't had for a decade. Luisa brought out a beautiful tres leches cake she had thrown together that afternoon for dessert.

Once everyone had finished, Jimena and Antonio excused themselves claiming exhaustion but promising to take Esteban up on his offer to tour Avalor City and the via Mercado the following morning.

Elena and Mateo bid the family good evening and walked hand in hand in companionable silence back to Elena's suite. But when Elena steered him past the royal family wing, Mateo looked at Elena, noting the mischief gleaming in her eyes.

"Where are we going?" Mateo asked curiously.

"I know that if I leave you to your own devices, you will take your notes and obsess over them all night. I've decided that I'm not leaving your side. I am going to protect you from yourself."

Staring incredulously, Mateo said, "Wait. What? How is that––"

She had led them to Mateo's door and grinned as she swung his door open and went in, going straight to his wardrobe and rummaging around, snatching up one of his long sleeved, button up white shirts.

"Uh–– Elena? What are you doing?"

Without saying a word, she breezed by him into his washroom, returning a moment later wearing nothing but his white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Mateo swallowed hard as he tried not to think about how good she looked in that old shirt, the elegant way it was draped over her perfect curves, the hem of which fell to halfway to her knees.

"Go."

"Where? This is my room."

"Change into your pajamas."

"But––"

"Don't argue, just do it."

Shrugging, Mateo left to do as she said and returned in his flannel burgundy pajama top and bottoms. Elena smiled and walked over to him, pulling back the covers of his bed and gesturing for him to lie down. Once he'd complied she crawled into the bed and lay next to him, curling up into his side and resting her head in the little crook between his shoulder and his neck.

"I am going to sleep here tonight. You don't mind do you?"

Truthfully he didn't mind, it certainly wasn't the first time they'd shared a bed, and falling asleep with her in his arms was one of the most comforting things he knew. Though, he smiled wryly as he thought that having her warm body pressed up to his was one of the least restful things he knew.

"So let me get this straight," he started as he slipped his arms around her, pressing his cheek to the top of her head, "You are sleeping here to make sure that I don't go all workaholic and stay up all night?"

"Yup! That's pretty much everything."

"So…are we going to sleep now?"

"Yeah, I suppose, unless––" she propped herself on her elbow and leveled a sultry look at him, saying quietly, "Unless, you had something _else_ in mind."

She winked playfully and laughed when he responded by poking her in the side, saying, "You have no idea how tempting that is. But, you should take your own advice and go to sleep, you little minx."

"I love you Mateo," she said quietly, leaning up again to press slow, lingering kiss to his lips. Pulling back she smiled when he murmured and kissed her again, "I love you too, Elena."

He leaned over and blew out the lamp, settling into his pillow, feeling quite comfortable in his warm bed with his beautiful fiancée next to him.

Though he had to focus hard on _not_ thinking about her incredibly long, bare legs brushed up against him as she wore nothing but _his_ shirt to bed. He focused instead on how amazing she was and how lucky he was to have a lifetime of nights like this with her in his arms to look forward to.

Drawing her closer, he kissed her hair, closing his eyes as he settled in for the night. It had been a long day, but they had gone through it together. And she was right, they both needed their rest for what was to come. He just hoped that he could pull off this expedition. He hoped her faith in him wasn't misplaced.

But those were concerns for the next day.

As these thoughts swirled around, Mateo felt his mind growing foggy. Sleep soon swept in to claim him, and he smiled, content in that moment to have his beloved princess curled up beside him.

Tomorrow, they would face the challenges of the new day–– together.


	7. Chapter 7

In the quiet twilight moments before dawn, Mateo slowly found his way back to consciousness, feeling more content and at peace than he had in days. He had slept deeply, not having moved an inch from where his head had fallen on the plush feather pillow the night before. The finely woven cotton sheets and the thick down comforter enveloped him in a cocoon of comfort and warmth, leaving the young wizard hesitant to move from his blissful state.

Though, he realized with a satisfied smile, most of that may have been directly related to the soft, warm princess still fast asleep in his arms, the sound of each of her precious breaths filling him with a quiet joy.

Tilting his head slightly, he found his nose buried in her hair, inhaling the sweet scent of her–– the scent of vanilla and sun ripened strawberries. And though he was still a bit groggy, his heart was light. His arms tightened around her as he thought that having her so close in the night felt so incredibly right.

Mateo was quiet as he observed the slowly waking world just outside his window, noting how everything seemed to be holding its breath as it awaited the dawn. It gave him hope knowing that a new day was about to begin, full of potential and endless possibility–– and like the day, he too, was full of potential and endless possibility.

The past few days had been full of emotional ups and downs–– doubts, fears, uncertainty–– yet Mateo felt ready to face the challenges before him. He was determined to use this opportunity to learn what it meant to be a leader–– a prince worthy to stand beside Elena as she ruled her kingdom.

He just hoped he wouldn't disappoint her.

Kissing the top of her head, Mateo snuggled closer to the sleeping princess. As he ran his fingers in idle circles around her back, he paused. Feeling the linen fabric beneath his fingertips, his heart fluttered with surprise and his mouth went dry as he remembered what she had worn to bed.

His shirt.

Nothing, but his shirt.

 _Such a little minx_ , he thought with a rueful smile. Pressing a feather light kiss to her temple, he wondered if she truly knew how hard it was for him to behave like a gentleman when they were alone like this. She was just too desirable for her own good.

But she was his world and his everything. His number one priority was not worrying about whatever it was that he wanted, but taking care of her needs. And she needed to make it to her coronation day without some huge scandal making that more of a challenge than it already was.

Even though he found it nearly impossible to resist her; denying her anything was not something he found easy to do under any circumstances, especially not when what she wanted was something that he wanted just as badly.

But he would try, nonetheless.

His musings were interrupted as Elena stirred, her fingers pressing into his back as she curled herself more tightly to him and yawned. Tilting her head back, she blinked up at him with a slow sweet smile.

"Good morning, _mi amor_ ," Mateo said with a soft smile of his own.

"Morning, _querido_ ," she replied, stretching her neck to brush a sleepy kiss against his lips.

Mateo brushed his fingers across her cheek and up into her hair, murmuring, "We should probably get up soon."

"Mmm…but the sun isn't even up yet," Elena grumbled, sliding her leg up and over his hip, pressing him to her as if to keep him from leaving, "I'd much rather stay here–– in the warm, soft bed with the blanket snuggles and your arms around me."

Chuckling quietly, Mateo said, "As would I but––"

Elena flinched into his chest–– startled by the sharp rapping of knuckles upon the door.

 _Knock knock knock_

"Mr. Mateo? Sir?" a muffled voice called from the other side of the door.

"––but Maria will be here any moment," Mateo finished with a wry grin, kissing her forehead playfully before sliding from the bed and calling out, "Just a moment!"

"What are you doing?" Elena whispered.

"Just lie down, I'll be right back."

Mateo slipped his pajama top off and grabbed his discarded white shirt from the previous day, and slid his arms into it but left it open. Running his hands through his hair, he rumpled it up even more than it already was and turned to Elena before whispering, "How do I look?"

Biting her lip, she looked her fill from his wild bird's nest hair to his bare chest peeking out from the unbuttoned shirt down to his rumpled pajama pants.

"Like I really want to kiss you…"

Grinning crookedly, he said, "Hold that thought."

Hurrying over to the door, he cracked it open, rubbing his eyes with one hand as he peered out. Sure enough, Maria, the young housekeeper charged with keeping his suite tidy, was patiently waiting on the other side.

Surprised at his appearance, she took a step back, eyes darting away from his half buttoned shirt, saying, "Mr. Mateo! I'm so sorry! Is everything ok sir? You're usually up and out of your room by now. I hope I didn't wake you!"

"No, no, It's no trouble, Maria!" Mateo said groggily, running a hand through his hair, "I'm– er– I'm just running a little late this morning. I'm really sorry––"

"No, it's ok sir, I'll come back in an hour sir," the maid curtseyed and bustled away.

Shutting the door quietly, Mateo turned back and exchanged a mischievous grin with Elena.

"Nicely done, _querido_ ," she complimented him, holding out her arms in invitation, "We have a whole hour to ourselves now."

"Thanks!" he grinned at her as he approached the bed, continuing, "Though we should probably dress for breakfast."

"Oh, come on. The sun hasn't even fully risen yet. Come back to bed. Please?" She stared at him with wide pleading eyes, batting her eyelashes at him.

Laughing, Mateo sat on the bed, saying, "Well, how can I say no to your famous sad puppy dog look?"

"You can't!" she said brightly, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him back to her. Eyeing his unbuttoned shirt, she ran a hand over the bronze skin of his chest and said, "You know? I could get used to the unbuttoned shirt look on you. Perhaps you should wear it more often?"

Laughing, Mateo said, "Right, because everyone wants to see _that._ "

"Well, I know I do."

"It's a privilege extended only to you, _mi amor_."

"I suppose I'll consider myself special then."

"You should," Mateo replied, kissing her forehead, "Because you are," he murmured softly against her skin.

Snuggling into his side, Elena sighed happily and said, "I wish we could stay like this all day."

Mateo kissed her hair, murmuring softly, "Me too, _amor_ , but we have a lot to do today."

The anxiety of the previous day began creeping back as he started listing off the tasks ahead of them, "We're meeting up with Gabe and Naomi this afternoon to set the official departure date and find out if our captains will even be able to take this job and then we need to find out the specs of those ships so we can compare the capacity to the the estimated number of refugees. And then there's the lists of supplies we'll need and––"

"Whoa, calm down _querido_ , don't worry. We'll get all of these things taken care of. You're not alone in this, remember?" Elena propped herself up on an elbow and looked down into the precious face she loved so much, noting the worry in his eyes. She brought a hand up to gently smooth his hair back from his forehead and brought it to rest on his cheek.

Closing his eyes and pressing into her touch, Mateo took a deep, calming breath, and said, "Right, you're right. Sorry."

Elena smiled and lay back down, wrapping her arms around him. They were quiet a moment as Mateo held her close and idly ran his fingers through her hair, thinking through his abandoned notes from the night before. His fingers froze and he groaned as a thought occurred to him.

" _Querido?_ What is it?"

"I– I can't believe I didn't think of this yesterday, but I need to go see my mom. I can't run off on this expedition without telling her. Plus, she deserves to know about–– this."

"Ooh! You're right! She will want to know about your–– er–– Nicolás. You should definitely go first thing after breakfast. Do you want me to come with you?"

Mateo thought about that a moment. He always wanted her around–– her presence was soothing and always boosted his confidence, but––

"Er–– I–– I should probably do this alone."

"Oh, ok," Elena said, slightly crestfallen, "If that's what you want"

"Not really," Mateo sighed, stroking her hair, "I'm sorry, _mi amor_. Selfishly, I'd feel so much better knowing you'd be there beside me, but I just–– I don't know how she is going to react and if it goes badly, well, you know how proud she is. She'd hate to have anyone see her fall apart–– _especially_ the crown princess."

Elena's eyes widened in understanding, "Oh–– that actually makes sense." She leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. "You are such a good son to be so considerate of her feelings."

"Thank you," he said softly as he held her closer.

–––––

Hours later, the Avaloran countryside rolled by as Mateo looked up from the swiftly moving carriage to the cerulean sky above, puffy white clouds scattered as far as the eye could see. It was such a peaceful sight, he wondered if the weather could possibly be any more at odds with the anxiety he felt building in his chest. He ran his hands through his hair, slumping against the bench seat of the royal carriage as it made its way to the moon cliffs, the base of which his mother's house was located.

He was still reeling from the discovery that Nicolás may be alive–– not only that, but there was a chance that they were about to go and retrieve him. He still didn't know if he even wanted to see the man, let alone invite him back into their lives.

The news had been shocking to say the least and he had no idea how his mother was going to react.

Mateo knew that in spite of everything that had happened so many years ago, though she had been a rock in his absence, losing her husband and raising a child alone had been hard on her. She missed Nicolás and still loved him deeply. Mateo had to tell her, but he worried about upsetting her and how everything would change–– if Nicolás came back.

Inhaling deeply through his nose, Mateo tried to ease his nerves, using the rhythm of the carriage wheels and the clip clopping of the horse's hooves as a calming focus. He still felt odd taking a royal carriage just to go visit his mother, but Elena had insisted. She said that as her fiancé, pretty much anything of hers was his to use as needed–– including the royal carriage. He had to admit that it was a rather long walk to the moon cliffs and there wasn't always a jaquin around to take him when he needed to go.

And then there was the fact that Mateo still could not ride a horse to save his life. He could ride Canela, but that was only because she was an unusual horse and was intentionally careful with him. She'd sort of adopted him because he belonged to her mistress. Any other horse and he couldn't even get himself into the saddle, let alone ride more than a few steps without falling off. Elena said he would have to learn eventually, but until then, he was content to ride behind her on Canela or take the royal carriage when he needed to be somewhere quickly.

Mateo was distracted from his musings as the carriage came to a stop in front of his mother's house. Thanking the driver, he climbed down and paused with his hand on the gate.

 _This is it_ , he thought, _It's now or never._

Pushing it open, Mateo walked into the courtyard. It had been a few weeks since he'd last visited, but nothing had changed. The fountain still bubbled merrily in the center of the yard and cobblestones neatly lined the walkway leading to the back of the house. His favorite climbing tree from his childhood was as strong and tall as ever.

Mateo followed the walkway around and stopped. Rafa was standing at the clothesline–– her back to him–– hanging the wash out to dry. Clenching his fists at his side, Mateo took a deep, calming breath and called out as casually as he could, "Hey, Mami!"

Rafa paused to turn, beaming with delight at the sight of her son. "Mateo!" she cried, dropping the sheet she'd been wrestling with as she hurried over to where her son stood with a semi-forced smile plastered to his face. She threw her arms around him in a bone crushing hug. "I'm so happy you've finally come to see your old mami! I've missed you!"

Mateo laughed, returning the hug. "Wasn't the engagement party just two nights ago? We saw each other there!"

Releasing him, she shot him a mock glare, wagging a finger at him. "It's not the same thing as you coming home to visit me and you know it!"

Raising his hands before him in surrender, Mateo laughed again. "Ok! Ok! I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything by it. I'm here now, aren't I?"

Rafa's expression softened and she smiled, her eyes shining as she said, "Yes, _mijo_ , you are. Come! Help me with this wash while you tell me everything that has been going on with you." She led the way back to the clothesline, gesturing to the basket of wet laundry and asked, "How is Elena?"

Picking up the sheet she'd dropped, Mateo said, "She's fine. Busy with crown princess stuff, you know. Nothing new there." He snapped the sheet expertly and draped it over the line, holding it so his mother could secure the clothespins.

"Mmm…" she replied, a clothespin between her teeth as she pinned one side and moved to the other. "That girl is quite industrious. You chose well, _mijo_. I couldn't have chosen better myself."

Blushing, Mateo pulled an apron from the basket, flicking it open as he said, "I'm just lucky she chose me too. You know, seeing as she's the crown princess and I'm–– well, she's the crown princess."

Snatching another clothespin from her pocket, Rafa raised a critical eyebrow at her son. "And you're, what, exactly?"

Huffing a sigh, he handed her the apron and reaching into the basket for the next article of clothing, said, "I'm nobody but a b––," he paused, looking down at the blouse in his hands, "I'm nobody important, not really. Especially compared to her. It's a miracle she picked me really."

Rafa was quiet, focusing on pinning the apron to the clothesline, a knot forming in her stomach. She knew what he'd been about to say. She knew the words that had haunted him since that fateful night so many years ago.

 _Nobody but a bastard child with nothing to his name._

It killed her to let him believe those awful words. She had been furious with Nicolás for even implying such an awful lie, but she understood the need and went along with it–– for Mateo's safety. For Nicolás hadn't been a wizard, no, he was a sorcerer–– he had magic in his blood. Had the guards believed Mateo to be of his blood, they would have taken him too.

The truth ate at her all of those years. She knew it still bothered Mateo that he believed he had been lied to about Nicolás' his entire life. She should have told him the truth the day Shuriki had been defeated, but couldn't bring herself to open those old wounds again. He had been so depressed for so long after the night Nicolás had been captured–– it had frightened her.

Her son had finally come to terms with what had happened and was finding his own path in the world. He had discovered his dream of becoming a wizard and had followed that dream. Now he was the royal wizard, like his grandfather before him. And had not only befriended, but was engaged to marry the future queen of Avalor.

Rafa was so proud of her son and what he'd become in spite of the adversity they'd faced. She couldn't tear those old wounds open. He'd found happiness and joy in spite of the pain and she worried it would shake his confidence and cause him to question himself–– who he was–– and he'd have to start over again.

On top of all of that, Mateo was the only one she had left in the entire world. She had no siblings. Her mother had passed away. Her father had likely passed away in his quest to free Princess Elena. Her husband was most likely dead. She only had her son. He was her world.

Every day that she didn't tell him the truth was another day she lived a lie, and admitting that–– well, she was terrified that it would cause a rift between them and if she were to lose him too?

She didn't want to think about what that might mean for her.

"Mijo," she said quietly, taking the blouse from him, "You are not a nobody. You are good and kind and you've accomplished the impossible–– in spite of awful circumstances–– all because of your strong will. And if this is about riches and power, I hope I've taught you better than to believe that material things make some people better than others. Because it's not true. And I know Princess Elena agrees with me."

Crossing his arms over his chest, almost as if to warm himself, Mateo turned away slightly, looking off into the distance as he said, "Yeah, I know."

Rafa watched him a moment and decided to let the topic go. Gesturing to the basket she said briskly, "Hand me that towel, please."

Mateo complied, shaking the towel out before handing it to his mother. He was quiet a moment, trying to decide how to tell his mother about the refugees. "Er–– Mami?"

"Hmm?"

"I also came to tell you that I'm going to be leaving in two weeks and I don't know how long I'll be gone."

This gave Rafa pause. Glancing sidelong at her son, she deftly arranged the towel on the clothesline before she said, "Oh? Is this royal wizard business? Or are you accompanying Elena on some other business? Or––"

"Actually, it's royal business. We're going to explore some uncharted islands north of Malvara. But Elena's put me in charge of organizing and leading this voyage. It's supposed to be a learning experience for when we're married and I'm helping her with royal business all the time."

Rafa's eyes lit up and she looked at Mateo, smiling proudly. "Really? My son? In charge of a royal expedition? What an honor! Your fa–– I mean, I am so proud, _mijo_! So, tell me everything. Why now? Why these islands? What are you looking for and how did you even hear about them?"

Mateo swallowed hard, hesitating before he said slowly, "Well, we had some unexpected guests at yesterday's grand council meeting. They are refugees who escaped and came to ask Elena for help rescuing others like them who are stuck on the islands."

Eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Rafa said, "Wait. Refugees? This is a rescue mission? What are refugees doing on uncharted islands and why are they asking the Avaloran princess for help?"

"Because they're Avalorans."

She cocked her head to one side, confused.

Taking a deep breath, Mateo took a step closer to his mother, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking her in the eyes before saying quietly, "They are prisoners, Mami. Shuriki's prisoners."

He could see the exact moment understanding clicked in her eyes. Rafa gasped, eyes wide. He flinched as her hands shot out, grasping his upper arms so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"Wait–– Does this mean–– Nicolás?" she breathed, desperately searching his eyes for the truth.

His throat tightened and was unable to form the words, so Mateo simply nodded. Rafa choked out a sob–– her knees buckling–– and fell to the ground.

Fear flooded his senses as his mother collapsed, but Mateo reacted quickly, catching her under her arms and lowering them both to the ground. His stomach knotted with worry and sadness as he watched his mother cover her face, her shoulders shaking with great, gasping sobs.

"Mami? Are–– are you ok?" He rubbed a comforting hand on her back, trying to decide how to best comfort her.

Her head snapped up, eyes rimmed with red, and she lunged, grasping the fabric around the neck of his wizard's robe. She stared fiercely into her precious son's face a moment before her expression crumpled and the tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

"Bring him back to me! Please, son! You must find him!" she begged, giving him a little shake. "Please! You must bring him back!"

Mateo didn't know what to say. "I–– I'll try. Of course I'll try, but––" he looked away, shoulders slumped, " ––but are you sure that's what you want?" he finished quietly.

"Of course it's what I want! Nicolás is my husband–– your father!"

"He's not my father!" Mateo snapped, anger and guilt and anxiety roiling inside him. "He's not! He's been gone for so long and if he comes back–– after everything that happened that night–– I––" Mateo's voice cracked, his eyes burning, his chest tight.

Rafa blinked, tears falling steadily, and reached out to cup his cheek. "Mateo," she said quietly, 'Mateo, look at me, _mijo_." His eyes flicked up to hers and she thought her heart would break at the hurt and pain she saw within. Had he bottled this up all these years?

"Mateo, regardless of what he said that night, Nicolás loves you." It was the best she could do, she just couldn't bring herself to tell him the whole story. She knew that if he found Nicolás, he would find out–– and if that happened? Well, she'd deal with it when the time came. If she was lucky, she and Nicolás would deal with it together.

Mateo stared at the ground, shaking his head, eyebrows furrowed as hurt and conflict joined the emotions warring within him. Rafa reached out and wrapped her arms around her son, drawing him into a hug. The tenderness of that gesture–– his mother's love–– was enough to break him.

All of the emotions that had been fighting for dominance for the past few days came rushing out and he clung to his mother as she clung to her son and they both cried.

He was still uncertain. And confused. And angry. And so many things when it came to Nicolás de Alva, but he desperately wanted to believe that, father or not, at least he, Mateo, had been loved and wanted.

And the two of them stayed like that until the tears ran out. Mateo took comfort in his mother's embrace. Rafa took comfort in her son's presence and his promise to do everything he could to bring her Nicolás home.

She was hopeful. After suffering ten years of pain, loneliness, fear and longing for her lost husband to return, Rafa had hope that he would finally be coming home to her. And she had faith that her brave, wonderful, capable son would be the one to make it happen


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Mildly suggestive kissing scene towards the end of the chapter.**_

Mateo stood at the bow of the _Marposa_ , watching the horizon ahead. Curls whipped around his face in the salty sea breeze and gulls cried out as they swooped low over the lapping waves in search of their next meal. The ship's hull sliced smoothly through the crystalline waves like a knife through butter–– so smoothly, it almost felt as if they were flying.

Two weeks had passed since the emotional visit with his mother. Mateo had left her house conflicted––feeling obligated to bring Nicolás home for her sake, but also feeling cracked open and raw, like he'd be betraying himself to allow this man back into their lives. Angry and confused and overwhelmed, he'd taken hours afterwards to try and sort through his thoughts and get his head on straight.

Upon arriving at the palace and seeing Elena's bright, though concerned, gaze–– he knew what he had to do. He would focus on the task she had set for him–– leading this expedition to bring their lost people home. He couldn't allow one man to be a distraction from what needed to be done and, truthfully, he didn't have the luxury of time to mope around feeling sorry for himself.

Mateo didn't want to let his mother down, but if he was successful in the big picture, her wish would be fulfilled. So, he would deal with the past when the time came, but until then–– he was going to put Nicolás de Alva out of his mind and turn his attention to the task at hand. He would focus on not letting down the woman he had pledged his life and love to by figuring out what it meant to be a prince worthy of standing by her side.

So Mateo threw himself into preparations for the voyage. He'd spent countless hours in the library studying old sea voyage logs and making detailed lists of supplies, equipment and the crew requirements to give to Naomi as she made arrangements with the sea captains. He'd studied maps of the northern seas in an attempt to help the captains map out their journey, though that turned out to be a fruitless effort since the islands past Malvara really were uncharted and nowhere to be found in any of the nautical tomes in the royal library or the ancient archive. He studied books on military strategy and drew up plans for guard formations and duty schedules between the two ships to help Gabe with his own plans.

For some reason, every person he'd approached with his lists and plans had looked at him like he'd lost his mind, but none said a word as they accepted his detailed instructions. Mateo had no idea what that was about, but didn't have the time or energy to look too deeply into it at the time.

Mateo closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of the wind on his face, and smiled as he thought about how Elena had taken it upon herself to make sure he was cared for––she made sure he ate three meals a day and insisted that he go to bed at a decent hour each night. Sharing a bed had become the norm, though she'd started bringing him to her own room after that first night, saying that her ladies maids knew better than to even think about entering her room before daybreak.

He certainly had no complaints about the arrangement. Having her asleep in his arms was soothing and helped clear his mind for the night. He likely would have gone the entire two weeks with very little sleep without her careful attention to his needs.

Mateo sighed. He was going to miss those nights together while they traveled.

The day had arrived and all of his careful planning had come together— it was exhilarating. But, in spite of the excitement and Elena's attentiveness, he was exhausted.

Mateo had no idea that a leader's attention was in such high demand. If Elena's attention was so coveted by those she led, she handled it with incredible ease. He couldn't recall ever seeing her falter or succumb to pressure by the demands on her time.

The ships had cast off from Avalor City harbor only an hour ago and he'd already been approached by the galley chef about a minor problem with the menu and the first mate who needed an updated inventory of the supplies in the cargo hold and the navigator who wanted to update him with the current and forecasted weather for the voyage log— which somehow Mateo had taken responsibility for keeping up to date.

He had to admit that it was nice knowing everything that was happening on the ship. It helped calm his anxiety when he knew everything was going exactly according to plan.

He just wasn't sure how long he could maintain this pace.

He'd been so busy, he hadn't even had a chance to take his bags to his cabin–– in fact, he wasn't even sure where his cabin was—or if he even had a cabin.

 _Oh well_ , he thought turning from the bow, _I'll have time later._ But he didn't know when later would be. He still had a meeting with Captain Ortega to finalize their charted course for Malvara before lunch would be served.

Not wanting to keep the captain waiting, Mateo hurried up the stairs that would take him to the bridge. As he reached the top, he jumped when he heard a familiar voice calling his name.

"Mateo! Hey! Wait!"

It was Naomi, followed closely by Gabe, and she had a clipboard.

"Oh, hey guys, what's up? I have a meeting––"

"Well, I really need your help, right now," Naomi interjected, impatiently tapping on her clipboard with a pen.

"And I need you to look over these guard rotation schedules to make sure I've done my job right," Gabe said. Mateo flinched at the odd edge in Gabe's voice.

"I'm sure they're fine Gabe," Mateo said, raising a puzzled eyebrow, "But I would like to double check, of course."

Eyebrows furrowed with irritation, Gabe opened his mouth to reply when Naomi elbowed him in the side, interrupting, "But I need you to come and talk to Lady Jimena with me about the expected passenger numbers at each island so we can be sure to top off our supplies appropriately in Malvara and I want to make sure we do this right so I need you to be there," she finished pointedly.

Mateo looked between them, thinking there was something going on and he just wasn't quite catching on. "Well, I'm sorry but it's going to have to wait. I have a meeting with Captain Ortega right––"

"She can wait!" Naomi insisted. "Lady Jimena and I need you right now!"

"Er––" Mateo was confused. Why did they need to talk to him so badly? He couldn't keep the captain waiting. But if there really was more to this conversation than he realized–– "I really shouldn't keep Captain Ortega waiting, couldn't we just––"

"No!" Naomi exclaimed, "We can't!"

"Here, look at this for me––" Gabe shoved a piece of parchment under his nose.

"Mr. de Alva? Are you coming? We have an appointment." Mateo jumped as another voice sounded from behind him. It was Captain Ortega.

Mateo felt as if he were being pulled in three directions at once and it was overwhelming. He couldn't decide which person actually needed his attention first. It was impossible to help them all at the same time. Breath catching in his throat, his eyes darted between Gabe, Naomi and Captain Ortega. Which one?

"Is everything ok here?"

Mateo almost cried with relief as the sweetest voice he knew spoke up from behind him. He turned, his gaze automatically snapping to hers. She looked at him a moment, eyes flickering with sympathy. He could read the words in her eyes perfectly.

 _You are the leader. Be strong, mi querido._

Mateo took a deep, calming breath and nodded before turning back to his friends and the captain. He looked at Naomi and Gabe and said, "I will talk to you guys at lunch, ok? I need to talk to Captain Ortega first."

Naomi winked over his shoulder at Elena and grinned. Sighing dramatically, she took Gabe by the elbow and swept away, calling over her shoulder, "Alright, fine! But I call dibs on getting your help first! Come on Gabe, before all the good tables are taken."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Mateo turned to Elena, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek, and said, "Thank you, _mi amor_. I don't know what's come over them. They've been acting so strange for weeks now."

Elena raised an eyebrow, but remained quiet choosing instead to address the captain. "So, Captain Ortega, what's this meeting about?"

Captain Ortega turned, and started walking towards the captain's quarters, gesturing them to follow, saying, "Well, Mr. de Alva here was kind enough to provide me with a plot of our course to Malvara––"

"Wait," Elena interrupted, "I'm sorry, but I don't understand." She stared at Mateo in confusion before continuing, "you gave _Captain_ Ortega, _the_ captain who plotted the first course from Avalor to Malvara in a thousand years your own sea charts for this voyage?"

Mateo smiled sheepishly, his hand shooting for the back of his neck. "Er—yes? I—I found some ancient Maruvian nautical charts in the archives—"

"Really?" Captain Ortega interrupted, her eyes sparking with interest, "These are Maruvian? I wasn't aware that such nautical resource material even existed."

Mateo nodded, smiling, "There are many things hidden deep within the royal archives that have been forgotten for centuries, Captain. I thought it possible the Maruvians knew something we didn't. So that's why I copied the charts for you."

Elena kept quiet as Captain Ortega studied the chart on the table before her, her eyes thoughtful as if she were seeing it with new eyes. "Hmm…" the captain said, running her finger across an expanse of sea on the map. "Well, this actually explains things. I was confused, you see, as to why the teenage royal wizard was plotting nautical courses for a veteran sea captain," Mateo blushed as she continued, "I called this meeting so I could point out your mistakes," his posture deflated and his smile drooped, "But now I understand that they aren't mistakes exactly. I can see now that the Maruvians in essence were working with a different sea than we are."

Elena and Mateo exchanged a perplexed look as Captain Ortega explained, "The currents are always changing. It's a gradual change over decades and centuries. Since we can't control the wind, we have to sail along the current that will take us to our destination. The currents from a thousand years ago are quite a bit different from the currents of today. This chart would have taken us hundreds of miles off course. But," she smiled kindly, seeing the dejection creeping back into his posture and expression, "there are a few points here," she pointed to a spot on the map, "and here that I'd never noticed before, the detail is incredible. When we return, I would very much like to study the original charts. Learning how the ancient Maruvians handled nautical science would be a valuable lesson that could advance the art and science of sea navigation more than you could imagine."

A sick, sinking sensation clenched Mateo's stomach as a wave of shame washed over him. He'd made a complete fool of himself. What made him think he could chart a course better than the captain he'd hand selected for this voyage?

Struggling to maintain a neutral expression at best, Mateo forced a smile and nodded as Captain Ortega pointed out where she was changing the course and explained that, barring any major storms, they would arrive in two weeks. Agreeing to her plan, Mateo took Elena's hand, interlacing his fingers with hers and bid the captain farewell as they turned towards the galley.

When Mateo remained silent, Elena took the opportunity to watch him closely. She was concerned with his odd behavior. In the two weeks since she'd placed him in charge of the mission, she'd been impressed with how he'd thrown himself into the task. He'd worked so hard and Elena had been there by his side to cheer him on and make sure he was taking care of himself—the way he'd always done for her. But, she was starting to get the feeling that she'd been so focused on cheering him on, she'd missed something.

She knew Gabe and Naomi were annoyed with his interfering in their own jobs, but thought it had just been because they were friends and he was comfortable pushing them harder. She hadn't realized it may extend to the entire crew. She was going to have to talk to him about that.

But it would have to wait. For now, she could see that he was embarrassed that he'd been wrong about the navigation charts.

Sliding her hand onto his back, she rubbed soothing circles, saying, "Hey, it's ok Mateo. Don't be so hard on yourself, you're doing a great job."

Pausing, he turned to her, his hazel green eyes downcast. He sighed. "How can you say that? I made a mistake that could have put the entire mission in jeopardy. I should have known better. Studied more!"

Elena raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Studied more? Mateo, you've been studying and planning day and night for the past two weeks! I don't think even Isa could have studied harder in that time." She smiled encouragingly as she leaned in to brush a soft kiss to his lips before linking her arm with his and started walking again. "You're not expected to be an expert on everything, you know."

Mateo was quiet, his eyes watching the floor as they entered the narrow passage that would take them to the galley where their friends were waiting to ambush him with more problems he'd probably fail to fix.

He was exhausted and confused and frustrated. How was it possible for everything and nothing to work out right all at the same time? The voyage was underway without a hitch, but the people were getting harder to understand by the minute and his place as the leader was beyond confusing. If he wasn't supposed to be the expert overseeing everything, then what was his purpose? What was he supposed to be doing?

"Elena! Mateo! Hey lovebirds! Over here!"

Mateo was pulled from his reverie by Naomi's shout from across the room. Looking up, he saw her waving enthusiastically as Gabe pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering something. A kernel of amusement sparked in Mateo, knowing instinctively that Gabe was likely muttering exasperated curses under his breath at her behavior.

Mateo took Elena's hand again, stepping in front as they wove through the maze of the tables and chairs to make heir way to their friends' table. He pulled out Elena's chair, to which she smiled widely and replied, "Always the gentleman," before kissing his cheek and sitting down. This, of course, resulted in Naomi pretending to gag on the other side of the table.

Once Mateo had taken his seat beside Elena, he focused his attention on Naomi, asking, "So? Where's Lady Jimena and what's this huge problem that was so important it couldn't wait another second?"

Waving a dismissive hand, Naomi sad, "We'll get to that later, but first. Lunch!" She shoved a plate across the table to Mateo. "I took the liberty of getting a plate for you. I didn't realize you'd be joining us, sorry Elena."

Realizing that everyone had a plate except for Elena, he tried to pass his to her. "Oh! Here Elena, you can have mine. I'll just go—"

"No!" Naomi cried out. "I had that one made special for you as a—thank you! Yes. That's it. A thank you for everything you've done. As our leader."

Perplexed, Elena and Mateo exchanged a look, shrugging. "Ok…" Elena said slowly, "I'll just go get my own plate. No problem!"

"Wait! I'll do it!" Mateo said quickly, placing a hand on her shoulder and getting to his feet. Leaning in to kiss her cheek, he gently brushed back a strand of hair from her forehead and murmured, "Please, allow me, _mi amor_."

This was one of the reasons Elena loved Mateo so much. He was always so thoughtful and considerate of the needs of others—particularly hers. Though she was more than capable of crossing the room to get her own plate, his sweet thoughtfulness never failed to set a flurry of butterflies loose in her stomach. She smiled softly, running her fingers through the curly fringe lining his face. "Hurry back, _querido_. I miss you when you're gone." And she kissed him, lingering just a bit longer than usual.

Blushing and slightly punch drunk, Mateo grinned and left to find food for his princess, chuckling quietly as he heard Naomi hissing to Elena behind him, "Ugh, do you guys always have to do that?"

"What?" Elena laughed.

"That disgusting lovey dovey thing you two always do when you're together—"

He couldn't hear Elena's response over the clattering of plates and shouts of the kitchen staff, but he was quickly distracted by the heavenly smell. Was that—paella?! He was pretty sure that wasn't on the menu he'd submitted to the chef the day before, but Mateo couldn't help but be impressed that they managed to create such a complex dish in the kitchen of a ship.

Thanking the man who handed him the plate, he went to collect a mug of ice cold lemonade and took it back to the table where his friends were waiting.

As he placed the plate and cup before her, Elena beamed her thanks. "Ok, now sit down and eat _querido_. You're so busy taking care of everyone else, you need to remember to take care of yourself."

He knew that. She'd made it her mission to remind him of it again and again over the years, especially the last few weeks. But he couldn't help but think that it was a bit like the pot calling the kettle black seeing as she was prone to put everyone and everything above her own needs more often than not. But, he supposed that was why they were so good for each other. They watched out for one another when they couldn't be bothered to watch out for themselves.

"Of course," he said, settling in the chair beside her with a sweet smile.

"Ok, enough with the sickeningly sweet couple stuff! Can we just eat already?" Naomi asked, drumming her fingers on the table, "The food is getting cold!"

Elena and Mateo glanced sidelong at each other, raising identical questioning eyebrows. "No one was forcing you to wait, you know," Elena pointed out sensibly.

"I know! But I was trying to be nice and Mateo never feeds himself unless we force him to, so let's eat!"

Mateo shrugged and took a forkful of the fragrant rice and seafood dish from the plate before him. He paused in his chewing. The rice tasted—off. He couldn't quite pinpoint how or why exactly, just that it was off.

He glanced at Elena who appeared to be enjoying her meal thoroughly as did Naomi and Gabe. Naomi paused, a sly grin spreading across her face. "Something wrong with your food, Mateo?"

Looking uncertainly at the fork in his hand, he said, "Er— it's a little—bland? Isn't yours?"

Naomi shook her head. "No, it's one of the best paellas I've ever had. The chef is incredible!"

"I just think it's missing something. Like—" he peered at the rice and took another thoughtful bite, "salt! That's what it's missing. It's missing salt!" Forehead furrowing in confusion, he looked at his friends who were watching him with expressions ranging from Gabe's disbelief to Naomi's smug smile. "How could he forget to put salt in the food?"

"Oh, he didn't forget," Naomi interjected.

"What?"

"Well, remember how you gave me that detailed list of supplies we'd need for the voyage?" Naomi asked in a falsely sweet voice that raised goosebumps on Mateo's arm. He knew from that tone that a punchline was coming and he was going to be at the end of it. "It didn't have salt listed, so we didn't pack salt."

His stomach dropped as Naomi leaned her elbows on the table, pressing her fingers together thoughtfully in the shape of a tent, "You see, we thought you somehow knew what you were doing better than those of us who have actually worked out the logistics of a long term sea voyage before."

He was going to be sick. Mateo stared, his mouth hanging open, his heart beating rapidly as the panic washed over him. No salt? They were going to be at sea for how long and not have any salt? How could he have forgotten something so simple? What a stupid mistake! He—

A soft, slender hand rested on his forearm, halting his panic attack in its tracks. "Stop that, _querido_ ," Elena murmured gently, "This is not the end of the world. It was a simple mistake. But—" she raised a questioning eyebrow at Naomi, "did he really give you such detailed lists and instructions?"

Naomi nodded, "Yeah, it was impressive really, that he'd put together so many details for a job he'd never done before in his life."

Mateo just stared, his eyes wide. "Really?" he croaked, "No salt?"

Naomi gave him an assessing gaze, pursing her lips thoughtfully until Gabe elbowed her and muttered, "I think he gets the point. Can you just put him out of his misery already?"

Her mouth split into a wide grin and her eyes twinkled. Naomi laughed. "Ok, ok. Mateo, I'm sorry, but I completely disregarded all of your lists and instructions and worked with the captains and their team leaders to properly prepare for the journey."

Confusion raced through his mind. "Wait. What? You—didn't use any of the lists I made for you?"

"No! Of course not. So many things were missing and of course there was no way for you to know that we needed beeswax to seal cracks in the wood or sealskin oil to waterproof the sails. But you were so eager to help that you couldn't let your experts be experts."

Mateo didn't know how to feel about this confession. He'd thought he was being a good leader and making life easier for everyone by working extra hard so they wouldn't have to. But he'd been wrong. He'd thought he was getting the hang of this leadership thing, but no. He was failing worse than ever before.

"But there's salt, right?"

Naomi nodded, amused, "Yes, there's salt. But salt really was missing from the pantry list, so I thought this little object lesson might get through to you. I had the chef prepare you a special salt-free plate of rice."

Suddenly not so hungry anymore, Mateo stood, smiling weakly at his friends. "Yes, I think I understand. Can we—finish this conversation later? I—just remembered—" he turned and hurried from the galley, intent on going to his room. He needed space to think. But as he made it up to the top deck he remembered that he had no idea where his room even was––he couldn't recall if he'd even bothered to assign himself a room.

How many other things had he missed?

Groaning, he sat on a crate hidden behind a pile of canvas, burying his face in his hands.

This was a disaster. He'd thought he'd been doing so well, but they were miles from Avalor and missing so many things and it was his fault.

"Mateo? Mateo!"

A jolt of panic shot through Mateo at that voice. He wasn't sure he was ready to face her––her disappointment. He'd let her down. But––this was Elena. He didn't want to hide from her either.

Standing, he stepped from behind the canvas pile, trying and failing to smooth his features and hide the devastation from his eyes. She was just on the other side waiting for him to come out.

"How did you know I was here?" he asked, looking at his feet.

"Well, I know you, and I know this is a very Mateo kind of hiding place," she said matter of factly. She was smiling, but watching him closely, her heart hurting to see him being so hard on himself. Taking his hand, she interlaced her fingers with his and said softly, "Come with me, _querido_. I want to show you something, and then we need to talk."

Curiosity piqued, Mateo went with her. He tried to walk tall and project confidence with every step—like Elena always did so effortlessly—but he felt like a complete imposter in his own body. So, instead, he focused on the comforting warmth of Elena's hand in his own. If there was one thing in life he could always count on, it was the love and support of the incredible woman beside him—though he often felt he didn't deserve it.

She led him to a set of doors he hadn't been through yet, though if memory of the ship's diagram served him correctly, the passageway to the guest and crews quarters lay just beyond. Elena swung the doors open and tugged Mateo through behind her. Mateo had to squint as his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit corridor.

"What did you want to show me?" he asked quietly, following close behind, being careful not to step on the hem of her dress brushing the floor.

"You'll see."

Mateo couldn't help softly chuckling at the same sing-song, quasi-mysterious tone he often used with her when he was working on a secret magical project.

Elena led him to the end of the hall and, releasing his hand, pulled a pair of keys from her pocket, handing him one.

"Rumor has it that _someone,"_ she said emphatically, booping him playfully on the nose, "did a fantastic job assigning quarters to everyone in the crew except for the most important person—you."

Of course. Of course he'd forgotten himself. Yet one more thing he'd messed up that day. Mateo groaned, averting his eyes to the floor until a pair of soft hands gently grasped his face and directed his gaze until he was looking into Elena's reproachful eyes.

"Stop. Quit beating yourself up and listen to me, ok?"

Breathing sharply through his nose, Mateo tried to calm his thoughts and allowed himself to melt into her touch, focusing on her warm, amber eyes.

"Sorry, _mi_ _amor_."

Elena nodded and continued, "As a leader you have to remember to take care of yourself so that you are ready to take care of others. That's something I've been trying to learn for years, even back when I was still training by my father's side. _Care for yourself so you can care for others, Elenita,_ my papi always said. But," she paused, her thumbs brushing his cheeks as her gaze shifted to unbearable fondness, "he also said that sometimes a leader had to rely on those they trust to look out for them when they sometimes forget to. Like my Mami did for him."

Mateo's eyebrows furrowed. "But I'm supposed to do that for you. You're the crown princess, the future queen, I'm n—"

"We are a _team_ ," she interrupted, her hands moving down to his shoulders, "we watch out for each other. Sure," she shrugged, "most of the time it'll probably be you needing you to take care of me because we all know how awful I am at that. But that doesn't mean that you don't need me to do the same for you. Which brings us to your room situation."

She was right, and Mateo knew it. They were a team and he needed to rely on her just as much as she relied on him. The thought brought a surge of comfort and relief. Looking at the key in his hand, Mateo asked. "Is this the key to my room?"

Sliding her arms around his waist, her eyes sparked with mischief as Elena pressed herself against him and breathed into his ear, "It's the key to _our_ room, _querido_."

Shock, excitement, joy and panic all sent shivers down his spine at her statement.

"What?! But we can't—I don't think—we shouldn't—" Mateo stammered, not quite sure what he was trying to say, only that he wasn't sure that this was a good idea.

Chuckling, Elena watched the barrage of emotions flit across his face before she reached up to smooth a stray curl from his forehead. She said, "Don't worry about what everyone else thinks, _querido_. This is a private matter, and as long as you want me here, this is where I'll be. We've been sharing a room for weeks and everyone knows it. We're engaged and on a ship in the middle of the sea, so it's hardly a scandal to anyone except for Esteban, and I assure you, he'll get over it. I could have shuffled people around to accommodate a separate room for each of us as a formality, but I didn't see the point if I'm just going to be sneaking over here spending the night in your room anyways."

Her gaze shifted and she smirked. "Besides, you need me to make sure you eat and get enough rest, and Abuela will never forgive me if we return and you're skinnier than you were when we left."

She had a point. Several of them in fact. Of course he wanted her there. He couldn't deny that having her close had been his greatest comfort these last few weeks and the thought of having her in his arms every night for the entire journey? Well, he had a feeling that today was only the beginning of many more hard days. If that was true––then he was going to need her more than ever.

Mateo wrapped his arms around her and leaned his forehead against hers. "Touché," he conceded. "You're right. And I do need you, _mi amor_. Always."

"Now that's the response I was looking for, come on!"

Kissing him on the nose, Elena smiled and pulled away, putting her key in the door. As the lock clicked, she pushed the door open and slid inside, beckoning over her shoulder for him to follow.

As he stepped into the room, Mateo paused, gazing in awe at the room around him. He was surprised at how spacious and richly appointed it was. He'd never been a long term passenger on a ship before, he had no idea that they had the space or budget for such beautiful furnishings in their cabins. Though, he conceded, this room might be slightly special simply because it is the crown princess's room.

Sunlight streamed through a large window, bathing the room in its warm, soothing light. The room had clearly been designed as a haven for its occupant and because of that, Mateo nearly sagged with relief. Less than six hours into the voyage and he was in desperate need of such a thing.

Swags of turquoise and cream cascaded from the ceiling, creating splashes of color against the mahogany walls, one draped around the large window on one wall and another draped over the headboard of his––of _their––_ bed. The bed had pillows––so many pillows in shades of turquoise, cream with the occasional ruby accent. The plush turquoise bed cover looked so soft that Mateo though they might sink straight through to the floor if they even tried lying on it.

"Our private washroom is through that door," Elena pointed across the room to a small door in the corner, "and the walk in closet is behind that curtain, there."

Mateo's gaze followed, noting the various features of the room, pausing on the twin mahogany desks in one corner near the window and flicking over to the small sitting area complete with a plush sofa and two wingback chairs in the other. A small dinette set stood in the center of the room, perfect for an intimate meal for two or having their friends over for a quiet dinner away from the hustle and bustle of the galley.

"You arranged for all of this? For me?" Mateo asked softly, not looking at her as he looked awestruck around the room.

"Well, for us. But yes, I did."

"Even better," Mateo smiled, finally looking at her, his eyes sparking with emotion. "It's perfect _mi amor_. Thank you." He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, surprising her by kissing her deeply in a way that momentarily made her forget her own name.

Elena gasped, surprised by this small act of boldness from her betrothed, but elated nonetheless. Her hands automatically found their way to their favorite place cupping the back of his head, his chocolate locks tangled between her fingers. She smiled as she tasted the love upon his lips, the gratitude on his tongue, though her heart clenched at the hint of desperation present with each brush of his lips against hers.

Suddenly she wasn't so interested in talking anymore.

But, a small sensible voice in the back of her mind nagged at her, she needed to talk to him before they did anything else. She needed to make sure he was ok and straighten out what she was starting to realize was a misunderstanding before things got out of hand.

Groaning softly, she decided that it was more important in that moment for her to be the responsible one and pulled back, though reluctantly, and rested her forehead against his as she focused on catching her breath.

Pulling away a bit more, she tilted her head until she met his eye. Cheeks stained her favorite shade of red, Mateo grinned sheepishly back at her. Laughing softly, she cradled his face in his hand and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, his nose, his lips.

"Come, _mi querido_ ," she murmured in a low husky voice that did little to convince him that she was anywhere near done kissing him, "we need to talk before I lose my self control and get carried away with kissing you again."

A small jolt of worry sent his heart thumping for a completely different reason. Mateo worried that she wanted to talk about her disappointment and the fact that he had already failed her. Did she regret her decision to put him in charge? He wouldn't blame her if she did, but still––the thought that he'd messed up so badly in less than a day of travel was depressing.

She led him over to the cream satin brocade sofa and gestured for him to sit at one end. Once he'd settled, she folded herself into his lap, leaning against the arm of the sofa and sliding her arms around his neck. His hands automatically found their way to her waist. A small gentle, smile played about the corners of her lips as she watched him.

"So," she prompted, "what's going on? I've been watching you progressively beat yourself up over––well, I'm not exactly sure what. But all afternoon you've been falling deeper and deeper into that dark place you sometimes go––you know, the one where you believe the horrible lie that you are worthless and can't do anything right. Plus, I'm starting to think I've been missing something these last two weeks." She released his hand to reach up, stroking his cheek gently. "What is it, _querido_? Tell me so I can help."

Swallowing hard, Mateo looked away, blinking hard. "Honestly? Until my meeting with Captain Ortega this morning, I thought everything was perfect. I mean, I'm exhausted, sure, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle personally. But suddenly every time I turn around, something else is wrong and it's my fault."

Unable to think of anything that had actually gone wrong, Elena was confused. Pursing her lips, she raised a questioning eyebrow. "What am I missing? What exactly has gone wrong?"

"Well, first there was the problem with the sea charts and Captain Ortega. If she hadn't caught those mistakes we would have ended up lost at sea! And then the lists of supplies that were missing. And then there's–– "

Eyebrows raising a bit higher each time he listed yet another detail he was stressing over, Elena finally placed her hand gently over his, effectively stopping him mid sentence. Waiting until he met her steady gaze she said, "Mateo, none of those things actually went wrong. Each person responsible for those things recognized the mistakes and fixed them before they became a problem. That's their job."

"But I never should have made the mistake in the first place! I should have known better! How can they trust me to lead them if I don't know what I'm doing?"

"No. That is not how this works. You have to let your experts be experts. You may be in charge, but you are not responsible for every minor detail of this voyage. You can't be! You'll completely fail if you try. Trust me, I've learned this the hard way."

Taken aback, Mateo cocked his head to one side, "Wait, what? Then what am I sup––"

"You, _mi querido,_ are in charge of overseeing the expedition and putting together a competent team who will make sure those details are taken care of for you––which you have done a marvelous job of. When you are in charge of something this big, you can't afford to micromanage every detail. As a manager, it's your job to surround yourself with people you trust to help you get the job done. Then as their leader, you find a way to inspire them to follow your vision."

Mateo's lips pursed thoughtfully as he considered her words. Elena could see that he was trying to wrap his mind around this concept though questions sparked in his eyes.

"What is it?" she asked gently.

"Well, it's just that I've watched you lead for years now and one of the things I admire most about you is how you don't behave like you're above anyone. You're right there working alongside your people when there's a job to be done."

Cheeks flushing at the compliment, Elena smiled softly and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a little squeeze as she said, "Thank you, but I think you are confusing leadership by example with micromanaging. The difference is that I don't tell the cook how to do his job before a royal function. I guide him by sharing my vision. I give him the information and access to the resources he needs to be successful–– how many people to plan for, the type of food I would like him to prepare and the timeline for the party. But he's the expert in cooking so it's his job to figure out the logistics like how many eggs he'll need to bake a cake for three hundred guests. If he needs my help, I might come along side and help crack some of those eggs into a bowl for him, or I might provide encouragement to keep pressing forward to the goal if things get rough, but I let him do his job."

This was a mindblowing revelation to Mateo. He'd never realized that was what she was doing. The funny thing was, as her royal wizard, he'd been subject to her gentle guidance many times over the years and had never thought twice about it. But whenever she needed magical assistance, she'd done exactly that, never questioning his expertise, but guiding him to what she needed done.

"Huh," Mateo said, "I thought I was working harder so that the others wouldn't have to. But I think I might have made things harder for them in the long run."

Squeezing his hand, Elena said, "I don't know about that. It sounds like you might have offended them more than you actually messed things up. Remember, they didn't actually use any of the lists you gave them."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Elena laughed. "Yes, actually. It's easier to admit that you were wrong, apologize and move on. They've taken the liberty of doing their job the way they've always done it. Meaning, nothing is actually broken. Though I'm sure your pride is a little scuffed up. But that's not such a bad thing, is it?"

Really, Mateo knew she was right. And overall, the revelation that he was wasn't responsible for knowing how to do every single thing on the ship was incredibly liberating.

Sighing, Mateo squeezed her waist as his eyes flicked up to meet hers and his lips twitched into a lopsided, self deprecating smile. "No, I suppose not. I think I have a lot of apologies to make though. And, yeah, I guess my pride is a little hurt, but I suppose if that's the worst thing to happen—I can survive that."

Elena's gaze shifted as her lips curved into a wicked grin. Mateo watched her with wide eyes, knowing exactly what that look meant. His breath hitched in his throat as she adjusted her position, swinging one knee around so she was straddling his lap, her knees on the couch beside his hips.

"I think I know a way to help with your pride," she purred, grasping the fabric of his shirt and pulling him closer until his lips were barely touching hers, their breath intermingling.

Mateo's heart leapt into his throat, but he smiled against her lips, his nose brushing against hers. "I'm listening," he breathed, rubbing his hands up and down her back in long, lazy strokes.

" _Te amo,_ " she whispered, her hands cradling his face as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. " _Te necesito, mi amor_ ," she murmured, kissing the corner of his mouth. " _Siempre_ ," she paused, her lips once again just a breath away from his, teasing him, an unspoken challenge.

It was a challenge he was more than happy to accept. Closing the distance between them, he captured her lips with his own, kissing her hard.

Her words flowed through him like cold, refreshing water, washing away the doubt, filling him with renewed hope and confidence, the way her love always did. Her kisses were magic and light all rolled into one––to the point that Mateo often wondered if he wasn't literally glowing from the sheer peace and happiness he knew must be visible to anyone who might see him in such moments.

One hand slid down the arch of her spine, pressing against the small of her back, Elena arching into his touch as the other slowly traced the side of her breast, the curve of her waist, along her hip and rested against her backside.

So lost he was in her––the softness of her lips against his own, the way she felt in his arms, her soft curves beneath his fingertips, even her sunshine vanilla scent––that he didn't even notice when a knock sounded on the door.

"Just ignore it," she murmured against his lips.

Having no idea what she was even talking about, he did as she said, pressing her closer to him as their kisses grew more urgent. Elena had undone the knot of his signature red tie and was toying with the collar of his shirt when––

 _THUMP!_

The pair froze in place, their lips pulling apart with an audible smacking sound.

"Ai-yi-yi! Elena!" Esteban's exasperated voice groaned. "Really? Why do I have to keep walking in on you two doing––this?!" He gestured wildly to the two of them. "How many times does this make now?"

Mateo, breathing hard as his cheeks blazed red, chewed on his lip as he peeked around Elena to see a large wooden chest lying on its side on the floor in front of the chancellor, who was pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes squinted shut as he muttered a string of colorful curses under his breath.

Elena twisted around, not bothering to move from where she still sat straddled on Mateo's lap. Placing a hand on one hip she glared at her cousin. "At least five this week, but you shouldn't have walked in on this instance seeing as no one actually invited you into _our_ room."

Ears turning red, Esteban spluttered incoherently as he gaped at his cousin. Finally, he stopped to compose himself, drawing himself up to his full height, he stroked his mustache and shrugged, "Perhaps, this is true. But, in my defense, no one answered my knock so I assumed you two were off seeing to your duties. I simply wanted to deliver these books for Mr. de Alva to enjoy between our lessons, which I have taken the liberty of scheduling at ten o'clock in the morning three days a week starting tomorrow. I would like you to please read the book on the genealogies of the Castillo family and memorize the names and titles dating back ten generations. I will meet you here at the appointed time."

Esteban turned and swept from the room, muttering under his breath as he went. "…damn kids…no control…hormones…ugh…I'm too old for this…"

Elena turned back to Mateo, her skin prickling with desire as she took in Mateo's disheveled appearance—from his wild birds nest hair to the tie dangling around his neck, not to mention his rumpled white shirt and crooked, sheepish smile. She loved seeing him like this, completely free and removed from the stress and anxiety that so often weighed him down, especially knowing that that freedom stemmed from their love for each other.

Mateo, cheeks still stained red, said, "Well, that was a little embarrassing."

"Why?" Elena grinned unrepentantly, "As he said himself, it's not the first time he's walked in on us––er––enjoying one another's company. And for once we were exactly where we should be when doing such things."

Chuckling, Mateo said, "True."

Leaning in, Elena kissed him on the nose. "Well, shall we take a look at the 'reading material' my dear cousin has left for you?"

Nodding in agreement, Mateo waited as Elena slid from his lap and offered her hand to help him up. Once he was firmly on his feet, he walked to the chest and knelt before it. Swinging the lid open, Mateo's heart sunk as he took in the huge pile of books stacked inside—books on political science, economics, history, etiquette, language, geography, and more. So many more.

Elena sat beside him and peered into the trunk. "Ooh," she cringed, "that's a lot of books. But, on the bright side, at least you like to read?"

Mateo loved reading, he usually had his nose in a book. But that was usually for fun. But this? Mateo groaned. This was overwhelming.

"Hey, it's ok," Elena soothed, rubbing his back, "These look like a lot of the same books I had to read and test from in my royal training––many, many years ago. It was overwhelming to me too."

Taking a deep breath, Mateo looked at her. He'd forgotten that she'd had royalty lessons of her own when she was younger. Though, admittedly, she had a lot more time to cover the same material. He reached into the chest and pulled out the Castillo Family genealogy book.

"So, do you want to help me memorize the last five generations of your family tree?"

Her eyes brightened. "Ooh! Yes! And I can tell you all of the funny anecdotes Papi told me about his family when I learned this material."

The pair rose from the floor and settled back on the sofa, Elena snuggled up to Mateo's side. As he placed the book in his lap, he slid his arm around her and turned to the first page of the Castillo family tree.

As Elena told him story after story about her family tree, a sense of peace settled over Mateo. It may have been a rough start, but he'd learned some valuable lessons that day and he had his best and most devoted cheerleader by his side. As long as that remained true, he knew he could do anything.


End file.
